Rebuild
by JenJenSon
Summary: The war is over, it's time to rebuild the wizarding world, starting with Hogwarts. The question is can they rebuild their hearts? Contains Lemons, DH/HG.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: So here we go again. For those of you who have me on author alert and reading No Ordinary Love, don't fret, I will continue it but it is really hard to write something when an idea for something completely different won't leave your mind._

_I wasn't really planning on starting another Dramione but this story planted itself in my head and doesn't seem to want to leave much the same way as Can We Make It did and since that did so well I decided to go with it._

_Thank you to my lovely Beta Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over for me._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this._

_Enjoy_

The days after the final battle were very surreal for the golden trio and their friends and family. There was great joy over the final defeat of Voldermort, the relief was immense. On the other hand, the sorrow for the losses in the final battle and before it was crippling.

After the battle all the bodies were taken to St. Mungo's to be identified and examined, mainly to convict the remaining death eaters.

The two weeks following saw funerals every day. Fred's funeral the most emotional closely followed by Remus and Tonks. Ginny held baby Teddy the entire time, Harry holding her. Molly comforted Andromeda, both women terribly grieving for their children.

Harry and Hermione were both staying at the Burrow. Harry was another son to Molly and Arthur and they wouldn't hear of him staying alone at Grimmauld place. Harry obliged them as he always thought of them as the closest he would ever have to parents and in all honesty he did not want to leave Ginny's side.

Hermione, not knowing what her next step would be was grateful for the familiarity of the Burrow and the closeness with the family, especially as she had not even come close to extracting her parents from Australia.

They spent a few days just together. George spent most of his time up in his and Fred's old room. The shop remained closed for the foreseeable future and after a few days Molly began to worry that if he didn't leave the room soon he would go crazy.

She mothered them to within an inch of their sanity, constantly cooking, cleaning and fussing. Hermione supposed it was just a coping mechanism for her and was very worried for when she finally let her feelings in.

Arthur coped by pottering around in his little shed, playing around with the wiring on his collection of plugs and eventually going back to work. The ministry needed to be completely restructured now that the dark forces had been extracted and what better way for Arthur to avoid his grief than to go to work.

As days went by the family set into a sort of morbid rhythm. The girls helped Molly clean the already spotless house on a daily basis, but neither complained as it meant they were busy and had less time to think.

The boys played Quidditch out in the orchard, mainly just throwing the Quaffle at each other but at least it meant that their minds were occupied with swooping around to catch the magical ball.

Hermione got up one morning to the sound of sobbing coming from downstairs. She extricated herself from under Ron's arm; as she and Harry swapped rooms each night, Ron and Ginny both needing the comfort of their loved one the most.

She followed the sound down from Ron's attic room to the next floor down and found herself outside Molly and Arthur's room. She felt guilty to be listening outside their door but it sounded like Molly was alone and Hermione could not leave her to her sorrow.

She gently knocked on the door and opened it to find Molly curled up on the bed surrounded by tissues and gripping her family clock. It showed everyone at home except for Arthur whose hand was pointing at work. The hand, which used to show Fred, was now empty.

"Oh Molly, I'm so sorry" Hermione soothed and placed an arm around Molly's shoulders, rather awkwardly as the older witch was still lying down.

"I didn't want you children to see me like this" Molly sobbed and blew her nose on a piece of tissue she plucked from a magically re-filling box on her bedside table.

"We understand, we all lost him too" Hermione tried her best to console the sobbing Weasley matriarch. She felt silly saying what she said, no pain she felt over losing Fred would ever compare to the pain Molly must be feeling.

Molly nodded and made to get up from the bed, but Hermione's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Molly try to get some rest, I will organise everyone's breakfast and send something up to you, okay".

Molly nodded again and closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep. Hermione was relieved that she didn't put up a fight, but it was unsettling also.

She went down to the kitchen and began to pull ingredients out of the fridge to start cooking breakfast. She had bacon in the pan and the eggs were scrambling themselves when an owl delivered the family post along with the Daily Prophet.

Hermione placed the kettle on the stove to begin boiling and opened the paper. She read the latest news of death eaters to be put on trial, shocked at some of the names there. People she never even considered were in the list.

She flipped to the next page and was assaulted with a large photograph of Hogwarts still in disrepair. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the old castle, pursing her lips at the photographer.

The article read

'**Calling****the****Wizarding****community****to****rebuild****our****school'**

_During the final battle that defeated he who must not be named Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry took heavy damage. The Professors of the school have spent the last six weeks securing the foundation of the building with the help of several magical building crews, but now they need your help._

_In order to have the school ready in time for the new school year, meaning the children will not have to be sent out of the country for their wizarding education, they have asked for volunteers to help finish the rebuilding process and to give our children a chance at a proper education._

_There are talks in the work to offer last years N.E.W.T students the opportunity to come back and re-take the year again if the school is ready._

_If any person reading this is willing and able to aid this worthy project, please contact Professor Minerva McGonagall._

Hermione read the article twice and considered the prospect. If it meant she could go back to school and finish her education then she was more than willing to help. Having something to do until she decided her next move was also appealing.

The kettle began to whistle and she put the paper down to pour the boiling water into the teapot adding teabags. She placed a warming charm over the food after making a plate for herself and sat down to eat.

The smell of the breakfast quickly brought Ron and Harry down. "Ginny is still sleeping, she spent most of last night crying" Harry whispered to Hermione.

The boys sat to eat and Hermione showed them the article. "I think I'm going to go and help. I would certainly like to take my N.E.W.T's and I think it would be good to do something for the future".

Harry nodded in agreement and Ron sort of grunted around a mouthful of bacon and egg.

"Do you think you would like to come?" Hermione asked her best friends. She was pretty sure they would say no. They had both been offered positions in the Auror training programme for whenever they were ready, but it felt weird to make plans without them so she asked anyway.

"I've already told Kingsley that I'll start my training as soon as the Ministry trials are over, I think there is only a few days left, so many of them have been cut and dry" Harry said.

"What about you Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Don't want to." he grunted. Hermione began to protest that this was not a reason, but Ron lost his temper fairly quickly "My brother died there Hermione, what the fuck would ever make you think I want to go back?" he screamed at her before storming out of the back door.

Harry made to go after him; to tell him off for being so rude but Hermione stopped him. "It's okay Harry, I should've thought about what I was asking".

"It's not okay 'Mione, we all lost Fred, he's the only one who thinks that gives him the excuse to fly off the handle every five minutes. It's like he still has the locket around his neck or something" Harry had really had enough.

"Let him cool off, then I will talk to him" Hermione said, gesturing for Harry to finish his food.

It was hours before Ron came back. Hermione was beginning to get really worried when he finally walked through the back door. Molly had agreed to spend the entire day in bed resting after a lot of coaxing from Hermione and Ginny.

The two young witches were in the kitchen making several pizzas from scratch out of one of Molly's recipe books when he finally decided to come back.

Hermione wiped her hands quickly and pulled Ron back outside into the garden. "I'm sorry for upsetting you earlier, I wasn't thinking" Hermione began and Ron interrupted her.

"Obviously" he grunted.

Hermione took a deep breath "That does not mean you get to keep reacting the way you have been. Your mother heard you earlier and she sobbed for an hour. Harry is about ready to hex you and I'm not far behind him. This stops now."

"Who the fuck are you to tell me that?" Ron shouted at her.

Hermione turned and walked away. She was so pleased that she had written to the school to say she would be coming to help, because she really thought that maybe she and Ron needed some time apart.

Harry, who had heard Ron shouting, promptly went past Hermione and out into the garden. Hermione heard him murmur something to Ron followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh and then come back in holding his fist in his hand, his knuckles were red and one looked like it was already turning purple.

He looked extremely satisfied after grabbing ice from the freezer and left to go and sit with Ginny in the small living room.

….

The next morning Hermione woke up on the couch and decided to start her packing. After Molly and Arthur went to bed the night before she retrieved the blanket from her bed in Ginny's room and went back downstairs saying that she thought it would be best to leave Ron be.

Unfortunately Molly had found her as she was folding the blanket and she had to lie and say she fell asleep reading down there. She really hated lying to Molly but she didn't want to get Harry and Ginny in trouble.

After an oversized breakfast, Molly unnecessarily trying to make up for the day before, Hermione went upstairs and began to pack her old school trunk. She put in clothes and some reading material, and put everything she wouldn't need into her beaded bag and into Ginny's cupboard. Ginny promised to bring it to Hogwarts if Hermione did not come back before the start of term, as she didn't really know how long this would all take.

Harry found them just as Hermione put the last of her toiletries into the trunk. "Are you ready to go Hermione?"

Hermione nodded and they descended the stairs. Ron refused to come down even after Molly threatened him with de-gnoming the garden. Hermione just said not to worry and waited in the garden for Harry who was going to the Ministry to speak on behalf of Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. A decision he had come to after a lot of deliberation of the final few hours of the battle.

They apparated to Hogsmeade together. Harry walked with Hermione up to the school and promised to look after everyone while she was away. He kissed her on the cheek and then apparated away.

There was a sign on the gate welcoming any and all volunteers. Smaller print at the bottom said that the sign was charmed to inform Hagrid that someone was at the gate and to wait. So Hermione waited.

Just as Hagrid came into view, Hermione heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil walking towards her with trunks and she internally groaned. She really hoped that whatever she was doing at Hogwarts, it would not be with Lavender.

Hagrid greeted all three girls with a cheery smile and one of his speciality bone-crushing hugs for Hermione then he led them up to what was left of Hogwarts castle.

They entered through the large doors into the entrance hall, although the hole in the wall next to it would've provided room enough too. Straight away the sight of what was left of the Great Hall assaulted them.

The magically enchanted ceiling was no longer there, most of it now on the floor as rubble. The wall that looked out onto the grounds was also missing. There were a few ex students already there; some of them already using their wands to clear the rubble into a gigantic skip out on the grounds. Hermione assumed that Hagrid and Grawp would be in charge of removing that when the time came because no normal sized person had a chance.

She recognized Oliver Wood and what looked like most of his Puddlemere United team-mates in the group, along with some people that Hermione recognized by face but not by name.

Professor McGonagall joined them and explained what was happening. "It is so good to see you here to help. As it is still quite warm and the castle is still a little unstable so we are setting up tents out near the lake. Hagrid will take your belongings there now. As the paper said we have secured the foundation of the building but you must be careful"

Hermione nodded to indicate she understood and smiled at Hagrid as he took her trunk along with the other two girl's luggage.

"Now the building crews are still here and we are assigning groups of volunteers to each builder to ensure your safety along with making sure the castle is rebuilt properly" the professor continued. "If you would like to get settled in we will be serving lunch near the tents fairly soon" Professor McGonagall left quickly, obviously very busy and Hermione made her way out to the lake.

She crossed paths with Hagrid on the way and he directed her to her tent "I gave ye one of the nicer ones youn' 'ermione" he told her with a wink and went on his way.

Hermione followed the rows of tents to a grey tent. Her name was magically inscribed over the name and a quick scan of the others showed that they all were named. It seemed that Seamus Finnigan would be in the tent next to hers and Dean Thomas in the one after that. She smiled at the thought that most of her Gryffindor year had the decency to come and help.

She entered the tent to find it was very similar to the tent they had taken on the run, except that it had one double bed as opposed to various single or bunk beds. This must be what Hagrid meant by he had given her one of the nicer ones.

There was a small kitchenette but Hermione was almost certain that after all the time she spent trying and failing to cook when they were on the run, that she would make full use of whatever Hogwarts offered at meal times.

A small but nice bathroom, which was the only enclosed area, was next to that and the rest of the space was an open living area.

Hermione was sure she would be very comfortable and looked forward to what the afternoon would bring.

_AN: I've already started the next chapter so if you enjoyed this then you won't be waiting too long. As always I love to hear what you think good or bad._


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So all good reviews so far. I really do love getting them, it 's like your reviews have a direct link to my fingers and they move so much quicker. Hopefully you will like this chapter as much as the last.

_Thank you to my lovely Beta Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over. She has some great Harry Potter and Twilight stories up and not up but in the works so head over to her profile._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this._

The next morning Hermione woke up early. It was the first night she had spent away from either Ron or Harry in a year and she felt disconcerted. She went straight into the bathroom and went through her usual morning routine, emerging fresh and ready to start on whatever project she was given by the building crew.

She joined the few other early risers sitting at what she had found the day before to be picnic tables, sharing breakfast. The ever-loyal Hogwarts house elves were working out of what could only be described as a trailer, but they still managed to produce large amounts of quality food for the workers.

She sat next to Seamus and Dean, who were discussing the project they had started the day before. They had been shown the proper way to magically lay bricks to build the outer walls of the castle and were starting along with a group of ten builders and twenty other volunteers with the walls around the Great Hall.

Hermione had gathered the evening before that general consensus was to rebuild Hogwarts in the exact same way it had stood before the battle. The blueprints showed to them by Professor McGonagall reinforced that this was the plan and now that the foundation of the building was stable and the majority of the rubble had been removed it was time to actually bring the castle back together.

As Hermione was finishing her toast and tea an owl flew over and dropped a letter in front of her. She recognized the untidy scrawl immediately and ripped open the parchment envelope.

_Dear Hermione_

_How was your first night back at school? Everything here is the same, Molly cleaned the kitchen three times after you left and now I can hear her casting charms around the living room even though you and Ginny just did it. Ron hasn't said a single word, not sure if he's missing you or just being a moody git._

_There was a piece of news I wanted to tell you before you saw it in the Prophet. As you know I went to the ministry to testify on Draco and Narcissa Malfoy's behalf. Lucius was still sentenced to life in Azkaban but Narcissa and Draco have been let off with lesser punishments._

_The Wizengamot ruled that Narcissa was an accomplice by force and would have to pay a substantial fine and do community service but no Azkaban and to be honest I'm glad I could keep her out of there, she did save my life after all._

_Draco was given the same sentence, and the reason I'm telling you all of this is that he has to do his community service at the school. He has no choice, he has to help rebuild Hogwarts and behave the model wizard or he is going straight to Azkaban. If he so much breathes a word against muggles, he goes straight to Azkaban. There were some other stipulations but I didn't really want to stay around much longer after I heard the sentencing, the press were everywhere._

_We all know how much you want to help at Hogwarts, but no one would think any less of you if you came home. We would all understand you not wanting to be around him._

_Either way I hope to hear from you soon, it's weird not being around you._

_Love Harry_

Hermione read the letter twice. Her first thought was how unbelievable it was that Harry wrote so much in one letter. She shook her head at the least important fact in all the information she just took in.

She then contemplated the situation she now faced. She wanted to stay and help rebuild Hogwarts more than anything. To be doing something so positive after everything she had been through was a wonderful feeling.

The problem was that it had only been a couple of months since her little trip, as she preferred to refer to it, to Malfoy Manor and the thought of it caused the scar on her arm to tingle, a reminder that would not go away of everything that the Malfoy's did to her.

She rubbed at the sleeve that covered her scar momentarily then looked back to the letter. Stubborn determination crossed her brow. After everything she fought for, there was no way that little bigot was going to make her leave. After all, he had to behave now.

Hermione left the table and took her letter back to her tent. She penned a quick reply to Harry, thanking him for warning her and telling him that she was fine. She sent it from Hagrid's hut where they had built a temporary owlery that was really only big enough for a few bird but seemed to work as most of the birds that lived in the original owlery were students pets anyway.

After watching the tawny owl she had used fly away, Hermione joined her designated crew and waited to find out what she would be doing for the day.

…

Three hours later, Hermione put down her tools and wiped her brow with her sleeve. She had been asked to help recreate the sculpture of Gregory the Smarmy. Using magical tools certainly helped with keeping straight lines straight and curves curvy, but sitting out in the hot July sun was making Hermione tired and thirsty.

Being more academic than artistic, Hermione was very pleased to hear the call for lunch. She sat what at what was rapidly becoming the Gryffindor table. Most of her year group from Gryffindor had come as she had thought the evening before and she felt almost back to normal to be sitting among Neville, Seamus, Dean and the girls from her old dormitory.

They talked about their various tasks whilst eating lunch, Neville commenting on how glad he was that his job was in the Herbology greenhouses helping Professor Sprout to heal the plants that had been damaged when the greenhouse glass shattered and fell in on them.

"We actually had to rebuild one of the greenhouses from scratch, nothing in it could be saved, but I managed to get the frame up on my own" Neville seemed ever so pleased with himself, and Hermione felt rather proud considering his usual luck with trying most wandwork.

After lunch Hermione went back to work on the statue along with two girls who had been Hufflepuff's at Hogwarts but at least two years above her. One of them, Lauren Reynolds, worked as an artist professionally and had taken the lead, which Hermione was very pleased about.

It was Lauren whose breath caught and alerted the people around to the fact that a new, unwelcome face had come to Hogwart's.

Hermione took a deep breath before turning round and looking Draco Malfoy straight in the eye. He looked thin, paler than usual. He had stubble on his face and his hair wasn't in its usual perfectly styled state.

Most of the death eaters had been held in Azkaban until their trials, but the ones that were on trial for association had been kept under house arrest, this included Draco and his mother and it appeared that he was a little worse for wear after the ordeal.

Hermione felt extreme satisfaction at seeing him this way, even though there was a little guilt for feeling that. She was not a vindictive person, but the man she was looking at stood by and watched as she was tortured.

Hermione turned back to her work and continued with her day.

…..

Two weeks went by and Hermione had rare glimpses of Malfoy. It appeared that Professor McGonagall was giving him jobs that kept him away from pretty much everyone, maybe for his own safety, Hermione was unsure but she was more than happy not to be near him.

In that time, the Great Hall, the marble staircase and the classrooms in the dungeons were completed. After finishing the sculpture of Gregory the Smarmy Hermione was given a few more jobs that actually required building work and after mastering the wand movements after only being shown once she was allowed to work on the walls of the kitchens.

She was much happier doing this as it took more logic and less art. The walls had not taken too much damage and were nearly repaired when she joined the crew working on the area.

Hermione had been given an area to begin work on around the doorframe. She levitated each new brick and flicked her wand the way she had been shown, laying it in place and then casting the spell to grout around it.

She found the repeated movement very calming and after a few layers had been built, began to do it without really having to think about it and went into her own mind. The problems with Ron were getting worse, Harry had written to tell her. All you had to say was hello and he would bite your head off.

Hermione felt guilty to be leaving everyone else to deal with him, but she was more than happy to have time away from his tantrums. She was happily placing brick after brick, trying to think of a way to help him when she felt herself being yanked hard.

She looked up from her spot on the floor to see that the area she had been standing was now covered in broken bricks. She felt movement and realised she had landed on top of whoever had moved her away.

She quickly rolled and turned to say thank you and see that she hadn't hurt the person, only to see blonde hair. She flinched and shot backwards to get away until she realised that he had just saved her from being severely hurt.

"Thank you" she whispered. For some reason her voice would not come out any louder.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, moving towards her and stopping when he saw her recoil at his movement.

"Err… Yes I think so. What happened?" Hermione asked.

"That idiot builder Smithers, he wasn't concentrating when he was levitating the pile of bricks. I saw him lose control of the charm and pulled you out of the way" Draco replied, he spent the entire conversation looking at the floor.

Hermione finally managed to find her voice "Did I hurt you when I fell on you?"

Draco shook his head. "Oh good" Hermione was relieved, Malfoy or not he had just saved her and Hermione was not a cruel person.

"Thank you again Draco" Hermione was careful to use his given name. He nodded and walked away. Hermione took a moment to calm her nerves and then turned to the pile of bricks. At the other side of the room the builder in question was getting seriously told off by the group supervisor. Hermione turned her back on the scene and began to manually pick out the bricks that were not damaged.

…..

A month went by and after a few more disasters and Smithers being fired, everything was on track for the school's opening. The majority of the building had been rebuilt and only the Astronomy Tower and Gryffindor Tower needed to be finished.

There was still a lot of visual work to be done, paintings to be brought in, carpets to be laid and such things that would bring the buildings original beauty back, but the actual physical building work was finished.

All the people that had come to work on the school were now staying in the Hufflepuff and Slytherin dormitories and the Great Hall and Kitchens were back in use. Unfortunately for Hermione the girls were in Slytherin's dormitory and the boys in Hufflepuff to make it easier in terms of bathroom and bedroom use, with so many people from different walks of life to cater for.

Hermione was sitting at a dinner table in the great hall with Harry and Ginny. They had come for the weekend; Harry had this particular weekend off from Auror training so he and Ginny came to see what they could help with and to visit Hermione.

Harry had paint in his hair from where he had been put on duty painting a classroom on the fourth floor. Hermione had tried to tell him but Ginny stopped her, she thought it was really funny. Ginny had been with Hermione in the library. They had spent the entire day stocking the shelves with the extensive book delivery.

They had spent the entire day working and had barely done ten percent of the shelving work.

Harry was feeling a little self-conscious as everyone in the hall was staring at him. The people there from his year group were fairly normal but the rest seemed a little star-struck.

Hermione decided not to let Harry suffer anymore and suggested they go into her common room and relax. Harry and Ginny agreed and they left the hall.

Hermione led the way down to the dungeons and whispered the password to the new portrait of Professor Snape that covered the door. "It was Neville's idea. After he heard the story of everything he secretly did he seemed to think it fit that he should still be protecting something, even if it is just the Slytherin dormitory" Hermione told them.

Harry agreed and it seemed fitting to him that it be Neville, who always held the most fear of their late potions professor, who felt this way.

They entered the common room and hear a familiar voice coming from the downstairs dormitories.

Hermione turned just in time to see Ron coming up the stairs, tugging his shirt over his head. Shortly behind him Lavender was tucking her t-shirt into her jeans. Hermione gasped and Ron looked up "Shit! 'Mione. Wait I can explain".

Hermione turned and ran straight back out of the common room and up through the dungeons with tears in her eyes.

She could hear Ron behind her calling her name, she just ran faster until she ploughed straight into Draco Malfoy. "Granger! What the hell is going on?" he enquired in shock at having her running at full pelt into him.

The tears turned into sobbing, just in time for Draco to see Ron running towards them.

He made a split second decision, took Hermione's hand and pulled her away.

_AN: So, how much of a jerk is Ron? I know you haven't seem much of Draco yet, but really this is just setting the scene, we will he see more of his sexiness soon enough. Reviews would be lovely._


	3. Chapter 3

AN: It's so wonderful when I open my email and see all your reviews. I tried to respond to everyone but if I did miss someone I'm sorry and I really appreciate it. So hopefully you will continue to enjoy where this is going. I don't think I've been this excited since I started Can We Make It so I think this is going to be good.

_Thank you to my Beta Astarte_Lydianna for checking this over, head over to her profile for some seriously good HP and Twilights fics._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this._

Draco tugged the sobbing witch the length of the corridor and up the stairs, making it into the entrance hall before stopping. They could hear Ron's footsteps right behind them. Draco pulled Hermione to the front doors and out, down the few steps and onto the grounds.

They made it to the lake and just into the first set of trees in the forest before stopping again.

"Are you okay Granger?" he asked, careful to drop her hand and step back a little now that they were not in a frantic rush anymore.

Hermione wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, thank you" she lied. She couldn't believe what she had just seen and the events following it. All the worry about Ron, and the energy it took to walk on eggshells around him. The times she just kept quiet and accepted it when he was bordering on cruel to her, and now she catches him cheating.

And now she was standing on the outskirts of the forbidden forest with none other than Draco Malfoy! Who seemed to have saved her a second time from total disaster.

"Well, okay" Draco turned to leave, and get away from this strange and uncomfortable situation.

"Malfoy wait" Hermione called at his retreating back.

He turned, raising an eyebrow. "I don't really know why you keep stepping in and helping me, but really I want to say thank you. I do appreciate it"

He nodded and left.

Five minutes later Harry found Hermione and after pulling her out of the tree line and admonishing her for being in there on her own in the dark asked "are you okay 'Mione?"

Tears welled in her eyes again and she shook her head, sobbing into Harry's chest after he engulfed her in a hug. "I'm sorry 'Mione, I really don't know what to say"

After calming herself again Hermione stepped out of his embrace and sat down next to the lake. "There is nothing to say Harry. After almost eight years of friendship I never want to see Ronald Weasley again"

Harry sat next to her and laid a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked after a few moments. Hermione felt Harry shake and realised he was trying to hold in his laughter "well she's taken Ron to the hospital wing"

After seeing Hermione's enquiring look he continued. "Well I managed to stop her ripping Lavender's hair out, but when we caught up with Ron; she sort of punched him on the nose. It's broken."

Hermione couldn't help but let out a little squeak of laughter, she could just see the scene played out in front of her…the look of shock on Ron's face as his little sister struck a good one right in the middle of his face.

"How did you find me Harry?" she asked.

"Oh well that was easy, never come to Hogwarts without this" he pulled the Marauder's Map from his pocket. Hermione smiled and looked back out at the lake. They could just see the head of the giant squid poking out of the water in the distance.

"Hermione, not to upset you by bringing up an unimportant point but did I see Draco Malfoy standing next to you on the map?"

"Oh err…yes you did. It's all rather strange. He saw me running from Ron and he sort of grabbed me and got me away" she answered, feeling just as bewildered as Harry looked.

"That's not all, last month he saved me from being crushed by a pile of falling bricks, he's very quiet and almost civil. He certainly isn't the Malfoy we have come to know and despise".

"He did seem very subdued at the hearing. I expected him to be more like his father, thrashing about and shouting at the decisions" Harry mentioned.

"Well I guess he'll be going soon, the school is nearly done, if he stays like this until then, I will have no complaints" Hermione replied. She was sure now more than ever that she would be staying at Hogwarts to take her N.E.W.T's because she would certainly not be going back to the Burrow anytime soon.

Harry just nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something but kept quiet.

….

When Hermione finally went back into the castle Ron had left for the Burrow. Ginny informed her that as soon as his nose was fixed he left the school grounds and apparated home.

After a long hug from Ginny and a kiss on the cheek from Harry the young couple left and Hermione took herself to bed. Unfortunately she was sharing a dorm room with Parvati and Lavender.

They had entered after Hermione had gotten into bed and closed her curtains and quite clearly did not know she was there.

"You shouldn't have done that Lav, he had a girlfriend" Parvati was saying as they entered the room.

"Stupid cow deserves it. She wouldn't give him anything more than kisses" Lavender responded, she sounded so smug that Hermione had a hard time not grabbing her wand and sending a hex through her curtains.

"Leave it out Lavender, you were wrong and you know it" Parvati sounded almost as disgusted in her friend as Hermione was.

"Do I look like I care? She shouldn't have tried to steal him from me in the first place, she deserves it" Lavender answered.

"Don't forget who you're talking about Lavender. She helped save our world, I doubt either you or I could've gone through what she did this past year" Hermione felt tears well in her eyes as she listened to Parvati defend her. She found a lot of respect for the other witch in that moment.

She could hear a lot of rustling that sounded like the two witches getting ready for bed. After hearing them say goodnight to each other Hermione closed her eyes and tried to find some form of sleep.

"You know the best bit?" She heard Lavender say. "We christened her bed since she obviously isn't going to"

Hermione froze for a moment before throwing herself from the bed and onto Lavender who had not pulled her curtains yet.

She managed to get a few punches in before Parvati pulled her off. Even beaten and bruised Lavender looked smug, which just infuriated Hermione further. She stormed out of the dorm room and heard Parvati saying "don't speak to me anymore" before she ascended the stairs to the Slytherin common room and out into the dungeons.

She walked up and out of the dungeons but did not know where to go. She wandered for a while, just up random staircases and down dark corridors eventually ending up in the almost built Astronomy tower.

She made her way around the piles of bricks and toolboxes of the builders, coming to the railing and laying her hands on it, taking a deep breath. The fresh air cleared her mind and she contemplated her next move.

She would ask to be moved from the dormitory in the morning. She would spend the night on the tower, there was no way she was going to sleep tonight anyway and the warm air was calming.

She was unsure if Lavender was planning on coming back to the school but she would find a way to keep away from her.

Lost in her thoughts she did not hear when someone walked up behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump. She spun round, her wand extended and pointed straight into Draco Malfoy's face.

"Merlin Malfoy, you made me jump!" Hermione dropped her arm and turned back to the railing.

"I know why I'm up here. What are you doing here Granger?" he enquired. He had found solace in this place ever since it was safe enough to stand in and he wanted to know why said solace was being interrupted.

"Thinking" was the short precise reply from the young witch.

"Look Granger, I know it's not my business and I know that I really have no place saying this to you but don't waste your time thinking about things that you cannot change"

Hermione stood shocked for a moment before turning around and facing the boy that had always been her enemy.

"What do you mean?" Hermione enquired.

"I mean, whatever happened between you and Weasleby happened and you can't change it so just move forward" Draco answered and joined her looking over the railing.

"Well wow" Hermione replied.

"What?" Draco asked.

"To be honest, I always knew you were intelligent, but I never expected us to have a civil conversation long enough for you to show it to me" Hermione smiled to show she wasn't trying to get at him, just stating a fact.

"Yeah, I guess this is our first proper conversation" Draco agreed.

They stood silently for a while; eventually Hermione sat down and leaned her back against the railing. "Hey, sit down"

He hesitated for a moment before sitting across from her against the large round structure that would eventually turn into the original sculpture. "So, what is going on with you?" she asked.

"What?" He was unsure as to what she was referring to.

"Well like we just said, we've never had a civil conversation, why now?"

"Oh come on Granger, do you really want to go into this?" he avoided the question. He did not want to start explaining himself, because in all honesty he did not really know himself yet.

"My name is Hermione" she put emphasis on her name. If they were going to be civil then first names would be a good start.

Draco took a deep breath, "Fine _Hermione_, I don't know why now. For the first time in my whole life I don't have anyone's expectations to live up to, I don't have to be cruel to anybody to please anybody else and I can think for myself"

He took another breath and continued before Hermione could open her mouth "I have no idea how I feel about muggles, wizards or even Hippogriff's for that matter. All I do know is that just under two years ago I was stood in this very spot with a task that would keep my loved ones safe and I couldn't do it. I don't know myself and until I do I cannot possibly answer your question"

"He cheated" Hermione answered.

"What?" Draco expected a tirade of words from the know-it-all Gryffindor princess and instead he got this.

"You said you don't know what happened between me and Ronald, well now you know, he cheated, with Lavender Brown. Apparently on my bed." Hermione fought off nausea at the thought and waited for Draco to say something.

"Fool" Draco murmured but Hermione heard him.

"What?" she enquired because she couldn't understand him thinking Ron was a fool for not wanting her; after all in Draco's eyes she was Mudblood Granger.

" I said he is a fool. A monumental fool to choose her over you" Draco punctuated each word very clearly so there was no mistaking any of it.

Hermione sat opened mouthed. 'What on earth is he on about?' she thought to herself.

"Granger trust me on one thing. You are absolutely beautiful. You are, always have been and always will be worth ten of Lavender Brown" with that Draco got up from his position on the floor, nodded to Hermione and walked down the stairs, leaving the witch open mouthed in shock.

_AN: Okay so I know my Draco is REALLY OOC! But I love him like this so yeah. And don't you think that was extra sweet with a cherry on top. Whether you do or don't send me a review and tell me what you think._


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: So it seems you guys like my Draco as much as I do. I'm glad because really who knows what he would be like after the final battle. I'm quite excited to see what you think of the next chapter so without further ado…._

_Thank you to my lovely Beta Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over for me, go to her profile and check out her great HP and Twilight fics._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money for this._

The two weeks after their strange conversation were very busy and Hermione did not see Draco Malfoy at all. A lot of people had to go back to their jobs and lives and the few that stayed behind at Hogwarts worked around the clock to get it ready for the start of term.

During the last week, when it seemed that the castle would be completed on time, professor McGonagall sent out letters to all the students inviting them back to Hogwarts to continue their education.

She also sent letters to the previous year's 7th year students, offering them the opportunity to come back and take their N.E.W.T's if they wanted to, however it was not compulsory and the many of the Wizarding companies and the ministry itself were willing to take it easy on the ones that did not go back when they began to look for jobs.

Although Hermione was already at Hogwarts she received a letter at breakfast, including a piece of parchment with the list of school supplies and books she would need. She decided to go and speak to professor McGonagall straight away to accept the offer.

"Oh I am so glad that you have agreed" the professor said immediately, "I was hoping you would because there is something I would like you to do if you feel so inclined"

"What is it professor?" Hermione couldn't stand the thought of some kind of mission. A nice studious year at Hogwarts was all she wanted.

"I understand that you have been through so much in service to the school and our world, but if you would like to undertake the role then I would like to give you the position of Head Girl"

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She had a horrible flash of some mission that the order hadn't completed yet. "I would be honoured professor" Hermione accepted the position and shook the older witches hand before returning to her breakfast.

She decided to go to Diagon Alley that afternoon, as long as she could finish whatever was to be given to her that morning, and collect her books, ingredients and other supplies for the coming year. Then a quick stop at the Burrow to pick up her beaded bag and to see Molly while she was sure Ron would be at Auror training.

Her luck was in this particular morning, as it appeared she would not be needed in the castle for long. In fact every single magical person in the vicinity was required in Gryffindor tower to aid with putting the roof on.

She had been involved in the same thing when the finishing touches were being put on Ravenclaw tower, however they had not needed as many witches and wizards as that part of the castle had not been as badly damaged and it was only a small section of roof that needed to be raised and placed.

She made her way out on to the lawn by the front door of the castle. There were ten builders standing around a large pointed roof. It was impossible to see the other side of the structure from where any person was standing and so much care needed to be taken when it was time to actually move the object.

Once everyone was assembled on the lawn, the Master Builder, a Mr. Murphy stood and gave them each their instructions, "each of you has been placed around the structure in such a way that you will be able to concentrate all your magic on the spot you were shown. When I say you will cast Wingardium Leviosa but you must only concentrate on your area. If you lose concentration you could seriously injure yourself, this is going to take much of your magical energy"

There were a few murmurs in the group, Lavender looked very nervous, much to Hermione's delight. They each got into position around their allocated point of the roof and pointed their wands at the heavy structure.

"Now remember what I said, concentrate. This will be the heaviest object any of you have ever tried to lift and I don't want anyone getting hurt" Mr. Murphy called to everyone. "Right, Now!" he called.

There was a collective call of 'Wingardium Leviosa' and after a moment the roof began to move upwards. Hermione immediately began to feel sweat collect on her brow. She now understood what Murphy had meant by it would take a lot of magical energy and all of her concentration.

When it was halfway up the building Hermione thought they wouldn't make it. She could feel the magic in her depleting very quickly. Her eyes zoned in on her allocated spot and she gritted her teeth, willing all of her power into her wand hand.

After what felt like hours but was really only minutes the roof was in position and hovering over the round tower. Hermione was straining to keep her arm up; she was ready to collapse at any moment.

"Right, it's in position, I went you all to start pulling the charm back very slowly, do not rush or it will fall" Murphy called to everyone. Hermione carefully began to pull the power back from her fingertips. Her wand was vibrating with the energy she had forced into it.

Slowly the roof dropped down into position and Hermione saw ten blue charms shot at the spots where the roof and the building connected. Hermione felt herself drop to the floor when her charm was finally released. She was thoroughly embarrassed until she looked around and saw that almost everyone else looked just as exhausted as she felt.

She looked across the field to where Draco was standing. He looked about ready to drop too Professor McGonagall began walking around with Madam Pomfrey handing out chocolate and to those who had really struggled, some pepper up potion.

"Well done everyone, you all did very well. That is the biggest roof I have ever moved and I know that it was difficult" Murphy called, taking a bite of his own chocolate.

Hermione was a little annoyed that they had used such a dangerous method with people who were not trained builders, but the roof was up and the building crew were already making their way up through the castle to secure the structure from inside the tower.

Hermione felt better almost as soon as she swallowed the chocolate, but still she could feel that her magic was close to exhausted and really hoped that this was it for the day because she wasn't sure she could do anything else. She was even considering asking professor McGonagall if she could floo to Diagon Alley from her office so she wouldn't have to apparate.

After a few moments rest Hermione got up and made her way back into the castle. She went to her room, a small room that Professor McGonagall agreed to give her after a brief conversation about the goings on with Lavender.

The professor had agreed to keep the matter private and away from the rest of the staff and had given Hermione a room that would normally be used by a visitor to the school. It was small, with room for a single bed, a small wardrobe and a desk.

She freshened up and changed out of her dust covered work robes and into some muggle jeans and a t-shirt. After checking that her reflection did not show a girl who had used most of her magical energy in one go she left and went to find Professor McGonagall.

She found the older witch, as she was about to enter her office.

"Professor would you mind if I used your fireplace to floo to Diagon Alley? I think this morning's work took a little too much magic, I don't want to risk apparating and getting splinched" Hermione asked. The professor did not hesitate at all and allowed Hermione access to her fireplace. "I will apparate back later this afternoon, I just feel it would be unwise now" she assured the headmistress.

"Of course Hermione, I understand, it was rather gruelling wasn't it" the Professor agreed, handing her a small bag with floo powder inside.

Hermione soon found herself spinning around the floo network, desperately trying to keep the chocolate she had consumed down until she found the right grate and climbed out in the Leaky Cauldron.

Tom the old barkeeper instantly recognized her and began to offer refreshments on the house, causing others to notice her too. Soon enough there was a flash of a camera bulb as a photographer from the Daily Prophet got his picture of the day.

Hermione immediately wished she had robes with a hood instead of her muggle clothes on and got out of the pub as quickly as she could. She made her way through the Alley as quickly as possible and into Gringotts to withdraw some funds from her account.

The goblin at the door bowed her in until he realised who it was, he then shot a dirty look and let go of the door. Hermione slipped through door before it hit her in the face and straightened her top before walking down to an empty cashier.

The goblins quite clearly had not forgotten her little trip there with Harry and Ron not so long ago. She presented her key to the Goblin at the desk, and after gaining another look of contempt Hermione was given access to her account.

Gringotts was still under construction after the Dragon had destroyed a lot of the building in its attempt to break out of its captivity so Hermione simply requested the amount she thought she would need to buy her purchases and have some left over for the year.

Shortly after walking away with Hermione's request the goblin returned with a moneybag and Hermione left the building.

She stopped at Madam Malkin's and got some new school robes then onto the Apothecary to get her potions ingredients. She then visited the Stationary Store and Flourish and Blott's.

Hermione considered going for some lunch but after the difficulty getting out of the pub decided against it, she really couldn't stand the thought of the Prophet's press hounding her as she tried to eat. She decided to just apparate straight to the Burrow.

She shrunk her purchases and put them all into one bag then turned on the spot and apparated to the Burrow.

She landed just outside the wards that were still in place and began to walk towards the house. The wards recognized her and allowed her in without trouble and soon found herself engulfed in Mrs. Weasleys embrace, the older witch had seen her walking up the path.

"Oh Hermione it is so wonderful to see you. You shouldn't have waited so long to come and see me" Mrs. Weasley admonished, pulling Hermione to her again.

"I'm sorry Molly. The castle needed every single pair of hands to be ready in time" Hermione replied.

"Yes, Ginny received her letter this morning. Harry and Ron too but they are quite happy doing their Auror training" Mrs Weasley said, as she put the kettle on the stove to boil. "Hermione are they not feeding you at that school? Look at you!"

"Oh Molly I'm fine, I think maybe today everyone just overused their magic a little" Hermione explained.

"Well I will not allow you to leave this house until you have had a proper meal and some rest"

Hermione didn't bother to argue, she knew there was no point and no one could cook like Molly Weasley.

After a plate of Steak pie and mash potatoes, Hermione felt extremely full and very sleepy. "That was marvellous Molly, thank you" Hermione said patting her stomach.

"You're very welcome my dear, it's nice to have you back. Will you not consider staying the night?" Molly asked, hopeful.

Hermione could not stand the thought of being anywhere near Ron, she plastered a smile on her face and answered "I would love to Molly but the need every pair of hands right up until next week when the students come back"

"Okay dear" Mrs. Weasley conceded defeat and cleared away their lunch dishes.

The witches sat in the cosy living room and talked about the works at the castle and how the rest of the Weasley family were. Mrs. Weasley informed Hermione that Ginny had gone to see Luna Lovegood for the day.

It was nice for Hermione to sit and talk with Mrs. Weasley, it made her realise how much she missed her own mother and how wonderful it was to have someone else to fill that role until she could work out how to bring her parents home.

Time ran away from them and as the clock struck five, Ron and Harry walked through the door. Immediately Harry engulfed his best friend in a hug and asked how she was.

"Why are you not happy to see Ron? What is going on here?" Mrs. Weasley enquired as soon as she saw the cold way in which Hermione looked at her youngest son and the sheepish look he gave her back.

"You didn't tell her?" Hermione snappishly asked.

Harry slowly backed out of the room, trying to get out of the line of fire.

"Tell me what? Ronald what is going on?" Mrs. Weasley had her hands on her hips; she was formidable for a small witch.

"I think this is my cue to leave" Hermione said, quickly leaving the room and summoning her beaded bag from Ginny's room. She had just walked out of the back door when she heard Mrs. Weasley shriek.

Hermione took a deep breath and apparated back to Hogwarts.

She went to her room and deposited her purchases and her bag then went down to the Great Hall for dinner. She sat on her own as most of the people who had come to help rebuild the school had gone home, including her fellow Gryffindors, who wanted a few days with their loved ones before returning to school.

She filled her plate with some of the roasted chicken and vegetables that the house elves had sent up and began to eat. She sat and thought about her afternoon at the Burrow for a while and how much she was going to miss having time there.

She had eaten about a quarter of her food when she heard the large doors open and saw Draco enter and sit at the Slytherin table alone.

There were only a handful of people in the room and none of them paid him any attention. Hermione made a decision and got up from her seat. She picked up her plate and walked over to the Slytherin table and sat opposite him.

"Do you mind?" she asked.

Draco shook his head and they sat together and finished their meals, both silent but grateful not to be alone.

_AN: So, what did you think? Let me know if you love or hate it…_


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: Well the reviews suggest that you guys like this and I'm glad because I like writing it! I am really trying to respond to every review but if I did somehow miss you I'm so sorry and thank you for reading it and I hope you enjoy it._

_Thank you to my wonderful Beta Astarte_Lydianna. Go over to her profile and check out her great HP and Twilight fics._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this. _

**1st September 1998**

The Great Hall was filled with children enjoying the lavish feast sent up by the Hogwarts elves. Hermione sat with Ginny and listened to her stories of the last couple of weeks at the Burrow.

Mrs. Weasley was giving Ron the silent treatment, complete with making him de-gnome the garden and cleaning out the gutters without magic.

"Oh I think that is a little too much, relationships end everyday after all" Hermione said.

"I think mum is just angry for what he did. That and she's upset because she thinks she will lose you as her daughter now" Ginny replied rolling her eyes.

"I will write to her, tell her to let up on him. I would always want to be involved with your family even if it isn't through Ron. They are my family" Hermione assured Ginny.

"I know 'Mione. Mum's just afraid of losing anyone else" Ginny said and then stopped before she got emotional, she began eating to end the conversation.

Hermione scanned the hall to see who else had come back as what was affectionately known as the "Eighth years". Dean and Seamus had returned along with Neville, Parvati and unfortunately Lavender. The latter was currently sitting alone at the end of the table, it seemed Parvati meant what she had said the night Hermione heard them talking.

At the Ravenclaw table Hermione spotted Parvati's sister Padma, Lisa Turpin and Anthony Goldstein who Hermione knew from Dumbledore's Army.

Sitting at the end of the Hufflepuff table was Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott, who had missed the previous attempt at seventh year due to the death of her mother by death eaters. Hermione concluded that Professor McGonagall had let the fact that she never took her sixth year exams slide.

Last came the Slytherin table, Hermione was shocked to see so many back. Firstly she saw Theodore Nott; she knew for sure his father was currently serving a life sentence in Azkaban. Next to him was Millicent Bulstrode. Hermione groaned at the thought of the fur balls she coughed up because of a mixture of Polyjuice potion and Millicent's cat hair.

Sitting across from them was Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. They all seemed a little subdued, possibly due to the dirty looks they seemed to be receiving from the rest of the hall. Hermione was about to turn back to her dinner when she caught a flash of blonde.

There was no way she could believe what she was seeing. She blinked a few times and looked again. It was official; Draco Malfoy was staying at Hogwarts and right at that moment he was staring right back at her.

"….'Mione. Earth to Hermione Granger" Ginny was poking at Hermione and getting frustrated.

"Huh?" Hermione brought her attention back to her table and her friend who was looking at her like she was going loopy.

"I've been calling your names for five minutes. Why were you staring at Malfoy? And why the hell is he staring back at you?" Ginny enquired, stabbing at a potato with her fork.

"I was just shocked to see him here" Hermione answered.

"Why? It's part of his sentencing. I thought Harry told you" Ginny shrugged turning back to her dinner.

"No, he didn't. What was the stipulation?" Hermione asked. During the building work Hermione could handle him, but a whole year at school. That was another story.

"Big fine, community service, constant good behaviour towards anything not pureblood and has to achieve an 'Outstanding' in his Muggle Studies N.E.W.T" Ginny smirked and Hermione had a hard time not laughing.

"Don't you think that the Wizengamot went a bit far on the last one?" Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, but I think its poetic justice" Ginny said. Hermione nodded in agreement.

Professor McGonagall stood at the teachers' table and raised her hands for silence.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I would like to start with the usual start of term notices, first years I expect you to listen closely. Firstly the Forbidden Forest, as it names suggests is forbidden. Anyone caught in there will be punished severely. Secondly, no magic is to be performed in the corridors. Your Head Boy and Head Girl this year are Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger. They have my full confidence and full backing in any punishment they give out so I suggest being on your best behaviour." The professor took a breath and Hermione took the moment to silently congratulate Neville.

"Lastly I would like to welcome back our Eighth Year, I'm so pleased to see those of you who have decided to come back and get a proper education, unlike the rubbish you were taught last year" a nice little dig at the Slytherin table Hermione decided "now off to bed"

The teachers all stood and began ushering the students out of the hall. Ginny got up from the table to round up the first year Gryffindor's as she was the seventh year prefect for the house.

Hermione waved her off and joined Neville to see Professor McGonagall. "Right, let me show you to your room"

Hermione and Neville followed the headmistress out of the hall and up the grand staircase to the fourth floor corridor. They walked down to the bottom of the long hallway and turned to face a painting.

The painting was of the school crest, it was one of the few in the school that did not move. Professor McGonagall whispered a password to it and it turned into a door large enough to walk through, stopping all the crawling they had to do to get into Gryffindor Tower.

They walked through and Hermione shut the door behind them. "Welcome to your new rooms. If you walk through the door opposite us you will find stairs that lead up to your bedrooms. The password to the painting is 'Belladonna' I decided on a plant so that Mister Longbottom here has a chance of remembering it"

Neville blushed immediately and mumbled his thanks.

"Right well you were both already informed of your roles so I will leave you to your evening" Professor McGonagall departed.

Neville went straight up to his room to look around. Hermione took the opportunity to look around their small common room. There was a small fireplace with two sofa's and two armchairs placed strategically around it.

The stone walls were covered by many tapestries and paintings, giving the slightly dank room a bit of colour, although nothing biased to any particular house.

There were also two desks, obviously to allow the head students the ability to do their homework uninterrupted as their many duties would take much time.

In between the desks was a large bookcase. Hermione followed Neville's footsteps and ascended the stairs. She could hear Neville moving around behind the door to her right so she assumed her belongings were in the room to her left.

She opened the door to a large room that held a four-poster double bed with Gryffindor bed linen and curtains, a wardrobe that already held her clothing and another desk. To her left was another door, which when Hermione investigated turned out to be her own bathroom.

It wasn't particularly large, but held a toilet sink and shower, which were more than enough for Hermione's needs. Percy had never let on that the head students had all this.

On closer inspection Hermione saw that her toiletries had already been unpacked and she decided to test out the shower quickly then get into bed, tomorrow was going to be a long day.

…

The next morning Hermione woke up early from a nightmare. Ever since the war she went most nights like this but slowly it was lessening. She decided there was no point going back to sleep as she would have to get up in an hour so she climbed out of the very comfortable bed and went to use the bathroom before getting ready for the day.

Once dressed and with her school bag packed with the days necessities Hermione left her room to go down to the common room. As soon as she left her room she could hear Neville's snores, at least someone was sleeping.

She made her way downstairs and out of the head quarters and down to the Great Hall. To her surprise there were already a few students their having breakfast. She sat down and put some toast and eggs on her plate and began eating.

She looked around and saw that Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table alone, staring at his plate. She decided to do what she had done two weeks earlier and join him.

"Good Morning Draco" She said sitting down across from him.

"Hermione" he nodded to her and then began the staring contest with his plate again.

"Is there something wrong with your breakfast?" she enquired as a way to find out what was going on.

"No, I just don't feel very hungry"

"Well I'm sure a little won't hurt, it's a long time until lunch" Hermione coaxed.

Draco picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of sausage with it but still did not eat.

"Okay, I may not exactly be one of your friends, but I know something is bothering you very much, and since none of them are here, would you like to talk?" Hermione asked.

Draco looked up and studied her for a few moments before speaking. "Why do you care? After everything I did to you, why are you even sitting here?"

"I don't really know. I just thought maybe you could use a little bit of conversation, I'm sorry" Hermione made to get up from the table.

"Wait. I apologise, I didn't mean to be so abrupt" Draco said. "I would like to have a conversation, but let's get out of here"

Hermione contemplated the request for a moment then nodded. She grabbed some toast and put it in a napkin after he got up and headed for the door then followed behind him.

She followed him all the way out of the castle and found him leaning against a tree by the lake.

She was a little worried about time, they only had about an hour until lessons began but he had actually agreed to talk to her and she had actually not felt odd about asking him in the first place so she decided to go with it.

She sat opposite him and handed him a piece of toast, "Okay, talk"

Draco took the toast and just looked at it. "Come on Draco, for you to have agreed to this in the first place, you must have wanted to say something"

Draco took a breath "It's just, hard. I was sitting in the common room last night, and actually listening to what my supposed friends were saying. Not so much Blaise, but Pansy and Theo, they just can't let the prejudice go. You would think your parents being in prison would teach something but oh no not them…"

Hermione sat and listened as he vented his feelings, smiling when he eventually gave in and took a bite of his toast.

After a while he stopped, and Hermione decided she got herself into this conversation, she might as well go the whole hog "You know, I wouldn't normally tell people who to be friends with but if your friends make you feel this way then maybe you should rethink the friendship"

Draco just shrugged.

"Well you said Blaise is not like the others, maybe you should consider cementing your friendship more with him and pull away from the others"

"Maybe" Draco agreed. "So what has you up so early?" Draco asked.

"Oh err…"Hermione was a bit uncomfortable telling him, as the dream from that morning had been about her ordeal at Malfoy Manor.

"Come on _Hermione_" He deliberately made sure to use her name. "I told"

"I tend to wake up early a lot, a habit from being on the run I guess and I err…" Hermione felt very uncomfortable but pressed on "I have nightmares most nights so I just give up and get out of bed if the sun is up when I wake"

"What nightmares? I've heard it helps to get over them if you say them out loud" Draco said.

"Well sometimes just memories from the battles, I see Fred lying dead in the Great Hall a lot and err…" Hermione faltered.

"You can tell me, I promise I'm not cruel like before, it will be between me and you"

"Oh, thank you but that isn't why I….most of my nightmares are about your aunt"

"Ah. You know I wanted to step in. I knew it was Potter even with the jinx you put on him, but I just wanted it all to stop, I didn't want his death on my hands. No matter our history, if I could have stopped her I would have" Draco placed a hand over Hermione's but snatched it back when she flinched.

They stayed silent for a moment, "Thank you for saying that Draco" Hermione whispered.

Draco looked at his watch and informed Hermione that they needed to go back to the castle.

On their way back Hermione broke the silence and said "I wanted to say thank you for what you said on the Astronomy Tower that night, I appreciated the gesture very much"

"Gesture? Hermione I meant what I said. Except for maybe that insane bush on your head, there is not a single thing I would change about you. You're so beautiful, the way you hold yourself, the way you walk, so graceful and I really think that you don't know it at all" Draco stopped in his tracks and grabbed her shoulder to stop her too. "Anyone who does not see these things, no matter friend or enemy is blind and I feel sorry because they are missing out on a work of art"

Hermione's breath caught at his words and it just endeared her more to Draco, he was certain now more than ever that she really didn't know.

Before he really contemplated what he was doing he grabbed her and pulled her to him, and kissed her with every bit of feeling he had.

_AN: OMG right? Well I had to; I couldn't hold off, 5 chapters was a long for me as my regular readers know. So did you like it? Press the button._


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: So this update was slightly slower than the first few but I think one every single day was pushing it a bit, don't want to burn out the creativity candle before the story ends. I think everyone is enjoying this so far, I hope you are at least enjoying it as much as I am enjoying writing it._

_Thank you to my lovely Beta Astarte_Lydianna. Go to her profile to read some really great HP and Twilight fics._

_Disclaimer: All recognized character and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this._

Hermione gasped as he smashed their lips together and Draco took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her warm mouth. She didn't struggle or try to stop him. She just felt warm all over.

She tentatively moved her tongue against his and slowly brought her arms up his arms to settle around his neck. Draco pushed her back towards the tree until her back was against it and lifted her left leg over his hip.

Feeling a hard length against her centre woke Hermione up to what was actually happening. She broke away from the kiss.

"What are we doing?" she gasped.

Draco backed off instantly, dropping her leg and causing her to lose her balance. He quickly grabbed her shoulder to stop her falling. "I…. I don't know"

Just at that moment Hermione looked over Draco's shoulder to see Ginny marching towards them. Her wand drawn.

"Get your hands off her Malfoy" She growled, pointing her wand straight between his shoulder blades.

Draco rolled his eyes before turning around to face Ginny. "Lower your wand Weaslette" he answered in a low menacing way.

"No... Wait. Stop" Hermione cried stepping between them. "Hermione he was holding you against a tree, and forcing himself on you" Ginny growled, holding her wand higher at his face.

"No! Gin he wasn't. Wait please. I don't really know what happened" Hermione finished, looking back at Draco for more of an explanation.

Draco gripped his wand in his pocket and said again "Lower your wand"

"What are you gonna do Malfoy?" Ginny spat his last name "one foot wrong and you're in Azkaban"

"That's where your wrong you foolish little girl. My sentence says I must behave with muggles. It never said anything about defending myself against a pureblood little chit who is pointing her wand at my face. So I say again…" he pulled his wand. "Lower your wand"

"Stop this right now!" Hermione yelled, putting her hands on bother their wands and pushing them down, "Draco please"

"Draco? 'Mione what the hell do you mean Draco?" Ginny was looking at her friend like she was going insane.

"Oh for Merlin sake, Ginny will you calm down. Come on lessons are about to start" She grabbed Ginny's arm and made the younger witch turn around and start walking. She looked back over her shoulder at Draco who mouthed "work of art" to her before turning away.

….

At lunch Ginny accosted Hermione before she even managed to get a single bite of food in her mouth. "What in Merlin's Baggy Shorts is going on 'Mione? Why the hell did you let Malfoy kiss you?"

Hermione huffed out a breath before giving up on any attempt at eating. "To be honest I really don't know what happened. We were talking and then he said I was a work of art and then I was up against the tree and we were kissing"

"Wait a minute... Work of Art? Hell talking, since when do you talk to Malfoy?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Oh well we have talked a few times" Hermione went onto explain the time he came to the rescue during the rebuild of the castle and the conversations since then.

"Wow" Ginny responded. "So, he willingly helped you?" Hermione nodded.

"You had conversations, like proper conversations?" Ginny went on. Hermione nodded.

"Well again, Wow" Ginny said.

"I don't want to jinx anything and say he's changed but I think the war has had just as much affect on him as it did on us. To be honest I think now that he doesn't have to reach his father's expectations, we may see a completely different side of Draco Malfoy" Hermione stated.

"Well I really hope you're right 'Mione, and it's all nice and everything if he has but I still don't understand why you were kissing him. And what is this whole work of art thing about?"

Hermione blushed and lowered her voice. She explained the conversation in the Astronomy Tower after Ron had cheated and the conversation that morning. "I don't know why he kissed me Gin, maybe he just got caught up in his emotions. I think he's feeling really lost"

Ginny smirked in quite a good impression of the young wizard they were discussing and replied "Or maybe he fancies you 'Mione" before getting up from the table and leaving Hermione with a good impression of a goldfish on her face.

…

Hermione completed her afternoon class, History of Magic, without taking in so much as a word the professor had said. Her hand seemed to take notes without engaging her brain in any way.

She decided to skip dinner altogether. She just went straight to her room and lay back on her bed. "Ginny can't be right. There is just no way" she told herself out loud to make it more believable.

She was taken out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. "Err…Hermione, are you okay?" came the concerned voice of Neville through her bedroom door.

Hermione pulled herself from the bed and opened the door. "I'm fine Neville thanks"

Neville peaked into her room, "Were you talking to yourself?" he asked, he was looking at her like maybe he should be hauling her off to the hospital wing.

"Oh err… yes I was, sorry about that" Hermione was thoroughly embarrassed at being caught talking to herself, her mothers' voice came into mind _'first__sign__of__madness__dear'_

"Okay well I saw that you didn't come to dinner so I brought you some, it's down in the common room" Neville said, then gave her another look of concern before going back downstairs.

Hermione found him sitting on one of the plush armchairs by the fire. She turned to pick up a bite to eat and found her desk covered with a plate of everything that had been served in the Great Hall that night.

"Wow Neville, were you feeding me or all of Gryffindor House?" Hermione asked, and laughed as he blushed.

"I just err… wasn't sure what you would like" Neville's face turned deep crimson and turned back to the homework in his lap, after one day they were already piled high, and they hadn't even had Potions or Transfiguration yet.

"Thanks Neville this was really nice of you" Hermione said sitting opposite him and tucking into the Bangers and Mash she had picked out from the large group of plates.

"Hermione, there was something else I have to tell you" Neville said once she had settled into her seat.

"Of course Neville"

"Well, I was sitting with Ginny at dinner and Draco Malfoy was staring at us the whole time. I thought he was just being creepy but then when I got up to leave he came over" Neville stopped and Hermione motioned for him to continue with her fork.

"Well he asked where you were. He asked if you were okay. Ginny told him to mind his own business and I had to threaten them both with detention to stop them drawing wands on each other"

"Oh Neville. I'm sorry you had to do that for me" Hermione apologized straight away.

"No it's cool, I'm happy to help protect you from him. We didn't fight that war so that he could get back up to his old tricks again" Neville answered.

Hermione decided to keep quiet and let Neville get back to his studies, no point involving him in the weirdness of that morning too.

She finished her meal and thanked Neville again for thinking of her before returning to her room. She decided to read her History of Magic textbook, since she had managed to miss most of the lesson, stuck in her own head. She of course had already read it cover to cover when she had bought it but it wouldn't hurt to do it again.

….

The next morning Hermione was sat at the Gryffindor table, looking dishevelled. She had gotten through all of three pages of her textbook before she gave up. She could not concentrate on the words as thoughts of the kiss broke into her mind.

She had never felt anything like that, granted she had only kissed two other men. Viktor, she had been far too young and inexperienced to appreciate what was happening, and after the initial romance of coming together during the battle any and all intimacy with Ron had ended with her having to pry him off her as he didn't want to take no for an answer and would always take it too far.

Kissing Draco was different; his kiss was all encompassing. His body fit with hers and the feeling of being pressed between him and the tree would not leave her. She had been shocked to feel his excitement against her, shocked enough to pull her back to reality, but she had not at any point felt uncomfortable.

'Oh Merlin, never mind if he likes me, I've got to worry about whether or not I like him' she thought to herself. She shook her head and turned to her toast, determined that today she would be back to normal, concentrate in her classes and complete her head girl duties.

She had already set up a schedule for the prefects' rounds before school had started. She had cleared it with Professor McGonagall and Neville had assured her that he was more than happy with whatever she came up with.

He still struggled with his confidence even after his heroics during the final battle. Hermione was still determined to include him; he had been given Head Boy for a reason and she hoped with a little nudge in the right direction he would shine.

Yes. She would get back to normal and forget the odd situation with Draco Malfoy.

Except for one small problem….

An owl had just dropped a letter in front of her and the handwriting was certainly not from anyone she knew. It was beautiful penmanship, and Hermione was almost certain she knew whom it was from.

After a moments hesitation she picked up the letter and opened it.

_Dear Hermione_

_I would like to request that you meet me tonight after dinner. Please be in the Astronomy Tower at 9pm. I think we should talk._

_Regards_

_Draco_

"What's that?" Ginny asked, grabbing the note and reading it before Hermione could get it back.

"Oh 'Mione, please say you're not going" she almost begged.

"Ginny, give me back the note" Hermione was about ready to lose her temper with the interfering young witch.

"I hadn't even had a moment to contemplate the note before you snatched it out of my hand" she said grabbing it back and folding it, slipping it into her robe pocket.

"Hermione please, whatever he has to say, it's not worth it. How do you know he isn't just trying to befriend you so that he looks better to the rest of the world? You are Harry Potter's best friend after all"

"Thank you Ginny. I've already thought of that, but it's nice to know that you think that no one would be my friend if I wasn't a third of the supposed bloody Golden Trio" Hermione got up quickly and left the hall.

She went to her first class and waited outside for everyone else to come. She looked at the note again and made a decision. No matter what the reasons Draco Malfoy wanted to talk and she was going to be in the Astronomy Tower at 9pm that night to meet him.

_AN: SO? What do you think, is Ginny right and he's just making himself look good? Or are his intentions better than that? I can't wait to hear what you all think of this._


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: So the consensus is that you guys really want his intentions to be good. Well…\_

_I'm not telling you'll just have to read the chapter (hiding now)_

_This is a slightly late Birthday present for Ladykate83, I tried to get it done in time, alas it wasn't. Happy Birthday again missy._

_Beta'd my lovely lady Astarte_Lydianna, thankfully her laptop is fixed. Also she is writing a Dramione that is looking pretty good, so go check it out._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this._

The day seemed to go on forever. Every time Hermione looked at the clock only five minutes had gone by and she was pretty sure time was playing some cruel trick on her, trying to make her more nervous than she already was.

Care of Magical Creatures in the morning wasn't so bad; she enjoyed watching Hagrid work so carefully with each new animal they studied. She spent her free period between break and lunch pacing in her bedroom and all of lunch staring at her plate.

What if Ginny was right? What if Draco hadn't changed and he was just faking friendliness to look better to the world? Hermione was driving herself crazy, and the next problem was Double Potions, meaning she would have to spend all afternoon in a classroom with the subject of her thoughts.

She managed to pull herself out of her thoughts just before the end of lunch and made the walk down to the dungeons. She found herself to be the last student lining up outside the doors and stood at the back of the line.

As with all the classes for the Eighth Year, the group was a mixture of all four houses. Dean, Parvati and Lavender were there from her house, Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff and Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin along with Draco Malfoy.

Hermione kept quiet and waited, hoping not to draw any unwanted attention from the Slytherins. Professor Slughorn opened the door and beckoned them all inside. They all grabbed a seat, Slytherins in one corner and everyone else together, Parvati opting for the seat next to Hermione and ignoring Lavender altogether.

"Oh no, no no!" Slughorn cheerfully bellowed across the class. "I have a seating plan ladies and gentleman. Up you all get and stand at the back, I will call you to your correct position"

'A seating plan? It's like we're still in primary school' Hermione thought to herself.

"Miss Parkinson, Miss Brown, here please" Slughorn indicated the table in front of his desk. "Mr. Thomas, Mr Goldstein here" and so it went on, pairing up Blaise Zabini with Hannah Abbot and Parvati Patil with Susan Bones.

"That just leaves Mr Malfoy and Miss Granger here please" Professor Slughorn indicated the table furthest from his desk and turned to the board to put up the lessons instructions.

Hermione took a deep breath and sat down in her seat, feeling it right up and back down her spine when Draco sat next to her.

'Oh Merlin I am in so much trouble' she thought to herself before turning to see him smiling at her.

No Smirk. No look of distain. No look of the worry that she was holding about their upcoming evening rendezvous. Just smiling.

"Well it would seem we are Potions partners Hermione. This should be interesting" he said quietly. She just nodded, unable to speak as her mouth went completely dry.

Professor Slughorn called their attention to the front of the class. "Right then students, this year I am going to do things a little differently. The seating plan is just a small part of that. The person you are sitting next to will be your partner in all assignments and class work for the rest of the year"

Hermione didn't know how to feel about that. She and Draco had been getting along for sure, but working together, especially considering she had no idea what was going to happen that evening, this could get really bad.

"Now as you can all see I have put up the ingredients and instructions for Pepper Up Potion, which can also be found in your books on page 238. You have two hours. Begin" Professor Slughorn beamed at them.

Hermione began to gather ingredients as Draco lit a fire underneath their shared cauldron. They began to chop, squeeze, shred and dice silently. Hermione didn't know what to say. The lesson passed slowly, their only interaction was to ask each other to pass ingredients.

The pairings seemed to be working well, no explosions from cauldron's, Hermione and Draco were almost finished with their brew when they heard Pansy's shrill voice screaming "You stupid little twit, you didn't stir enough times! It's four turns counter-clockwise for Merlin's sake!"

Hermione struggled to stifle her laugh as Pansy and Lavender began bickering. She looked up to find Draco shaking with laughter. "I think those two are going to make Potions very entertaining" he said after he caught his breath.

"Draco what is this all about tonight?" Hermione couldn't stand the tension anymore.

Draco's practiced smirk adorned his face "Oh I think you can wait" he said and turned back to their shared cauldron.

Hermione got even more nervous after seeing his smirk. What if he was going to do something bad to her?

Professor Slughorn came and inspected their work after Draco had indicated that they were done. "I say...this is perfect. I think I have made a very good decision putting the two of you together" he stopped when Lavender's voice rose above the din, shouting at Pansy.

Draco disappeared rather quickly after they were excused from the lesson. Hermione went to her room and tried to concentrate on her homework for a little while before her Head Girl duties began but she really struggled.

She could not stop replaying the entire lesson in her head; how her arm tingled every time it brushed with his, how his face lit up as he laughed at Pansy and Lavender and how even his smirk sent a thrill through her. It was no longer the smirk of the bigot death eater who found fault in everything he saw. It was almost happy.

After some more brooding Neville knocked to tell Hermione it was time for their rounds to start.

They split off in separate directions, to check their allocated corridors for any misbehaviour and to make sure the prefects were managing.

After handing out detention to a Slytherin first year she caught throwing Dungbombs and getting an okay from her allotted Prefects Hermione went to dinner.

He wasn't in the hall and it disturbed her. If she could have seen him there with his friends she would have been more confident that he wasn't up to something but not seeing him there just gave cause for concern.

"If you're looking for Malfoy, he already ate and left" Ginny said from behind her. She looked angry.

"Ginny I really do appreciate your concern, but please, just allow me to make my own choice on this one. I seemed to manage to make choices for three people last year and survive" Hermione reminded her younger friend.

"Fine" Ginny huffed and turned to her meal.

Considering she hadn't touched her breakfast or lunch that day, Hermione found herself to be rather hungry and thoroughly enjoyed her dinner, even partaking in a desert before leaving the hall and going back up to her room.

She decided to change out of her school uniform and into some comfortable clothing. She put on a blue summer skirt and white strap-top, covered with a thin white blouse; she wanted to enjoy the last of the warm weather if she could. She finished the look off with some white ballet slippers.

She put on some mascara and clear lip-gloss and took a look at her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh hell, what am I doing? Am I actually trying to look nice for him?" she said to her reflection.

She looked at her little bedside clock and saw it was 8:50pm. She had ten minutes to get up to the Astronomy Tower. She grabbed her cloak just in case it was chilly up there and ran out of her room before she could change her mind about going.

She didn't see Neville on her way through the common room and was relieved; she really didn't want to have to explain where she was going. She walked quickly through the long draftee corridors and ran up the spiral stairs leading to the tower.

She took a deep breath before opening the door that lead to the final set of stairs and hoping that she didn't look flushed from her quick pace went up the stairs.

She saw him immediately, his back to her with his pale hands on the railing, looking out over the grounds. He was all in black as usual, although he didn't have his usual severe suit jacket on, just trousers and a shirt, both obviously tailored.

He was tall, she knew that anyway but now that she had the opportunity to really look she saw he was tall, with a strong frame and muscular arms. His hair had much less gel in and seemed to skim across his face and end just at the bottom of his neck.

Oh yes, Hermione was definitely in trouble, because she really fancied the man standing across from her.

She cleared her throat to get his attention and smiled when he turned. "Good evening Draco".

Draco looked Hermione over and gulped. She looked edible. Considering her petite frame and height, the skirt made her legs look like they went on forever. Her shirt fit her perfectly, showing her slim waistline and perfectly rounded breasts, not too big or too small.

'Oh Merlin' he thought to himself.

"Good evening Hermione. I'm glad you came" he said and held out a hand for her to take.

She hesitated but after a moment accepted and placed her hand in his. He lifted her hand and placed a light kiss on it before gently pulling her to the railing.

"I just thought maybe we should talk about yesterday" he said.

"Yes, I agree"

"I think I have a confession to make" he said as his thumb ran circles on her hand.

"Oh?"

"Yes, well since I pulled you out from under that pile of bricks I haven't been able to stop thinking about you" Draco said quickly, not looking at her. He wasn't sure he could keep his Malfoy mask in place if he saw the look of disgust he was sure she would be wearing.

Hermione smiled straight away, she was unsure during the whole walk up to the tower but seeing him, hearing the uncertainty in his voice, she was sure he was being truthful and had to hold herself back from doing a little dance on the spot.

"When you ran into me, literally, the night that idiot Weasel cheated on you, I was so happy to be able to help you and I left as quickly as I did because I couldn't hold back and I was sure that you would not want me to do the things I wanted to do" he paused for a moment and looked at Hermione from the corner of his eye, "but yesterday you kissed back"

"Yes, I did" Hermione was startled by what he had just admitted but in a good way.

"Draco, I think I feel the same" she whispered.

Draco's tell-tale smirk made its appearance and he gripped Hermione's hand and pulled her closer.

He leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on Hermione's lips. He felt her sigh against his lips and lost control. He grabbed her and pulled her flush against his body, pressing his tongue against her lips until she opened them and allowed him entrance.

They kissed until the need for oxygen became too great and they pulled apart. Draco however would not let her go and held her close.

"Meet me tomorrow, here, same time? Please." he managed to keep the sound of begging from his voice, but he was more than willing to beg if he had to.

He hadn't been able to get the feel of her out of his mind since she had landed on top of him when the bricks almost fell on her and now that he knew he could touch her without getting punched in the face he was very reluctant to let go.

Hermione nodded and pecked his lips before pulling away and running back down the stairs. She had to get back to her room before Neville noticed she was missing; after all it would not do at all for the Head Girl to be out after curfew.

_AN: So I hope he said what you wanted him to say. I mean honestly there was no way I was going to have him using her, I just can't write Draco that way. Now, what on earth are friends going to say? And his for that matter? Watch this space._


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: So again it's been a few days but a busy weekend got in the way. Hope you all enjoy._

_Thank you to my Beta Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over. She has 2 HP and a ton of Twilight stories that are definitely worth a read._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this._

Hermione met Draco the next night and the next, and every night after that for two weeks. They talked about the subjects they were studying, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and the news from the Daily Prophet. They steered completely clear from talk of their families and the war.

Hermione thoroughly enjoyed some actual intellectual conversation. She had always loved Harry and Ron, but the chances of them sitting and discussing policies brought in by the ministry were about as likely as Hermione becoming captain of the England Women's Quidditch team.

Every night before she left Draco thoroughly kissed her. He allowed her to set the pace but once she initiated any kind of contact he could not hold back, he would kiss her with a passion neither of them had ever felt before.

"Draco I have to go" Hermione mumbled one night as he kissed and sucked her neck. He just groaned and continued with his sweet assault on her skin.

"Draco please, I need to finish my rounds and Neville will notice if I'm not back soon" she asked again, Draco shook his head and held her hands above her head as he backed her against the wall and thrust his tongue into her hot mouth.

Hermione couldn't help the moan that fell from her mouth at the feel of Draco's body against her. "Draco stop, we have to go" Hermione insisted.

Draco grunted and allowed her hands to lower but did not let go. He slid his fingers through hers; "I'll stop, if you agree to a date during the Hogsmeade trip this weekend"

"Hogsmeade. Aren't you worried about everyone seeing us?" Hermione questioned.

"No. But I can see you are." Draco looked hurt, Hermione felt terrible, but occasionally Ginny's voice came into her head, telling her that Draco was using her.

He dropped her hands and turned to leave. Hermione took a moment to tell the voice in her head to go away before catching his hand again and pulling him back, moulding her mouth to his.

She kissed him until she had to resurface for air before saying "I have to help with the younger students to start the day. Meet me at the Three Broomsticks at 1pm" before kissing him again and leaving.

….

Draco waited a few minutes before leaving the tower and making his way to the Slytherin common room. He took the corridors at a quick pace and after narrowly missing a confrontation with Peeves entered the cold dungeons and into the green covered common room.

"Draco, where have you been?" Pansy's screeched across the room. Draco internally groaned and walked over to the awful witch.

"Do you need to know everything about my life Parkinson?" he snapped.

"Come now Draco, don't be like that" she said, trying to run her hand up his leg after he sat down on the plush green couch. Draco threw her hand off. He used to enjoy Pansy's attentions, but now her touch made his skin crawl.

"Drakee your so tense, maybe I can help you relax..." her nasal voice made him cringe, she tried to run her hand up his leg again.

Draco grabbed her hand, his eyes flashing with his anger, "Take your hand off me".

Pansy got up and stormed out of the room and down to the girls' dormitory, narrowly missing Blaise.

"What's gotten into her?" Blaise asked, sitting next to Draco and grabbing up that days Prophet from the table in front of them.

"She's living in the past" Draco answered flippantly. He laid his head back against the large cushions and thought, just two days and he could spend an entire day with his beautiful girl.

The fact that he could think of her as his was incredible. He thought he would get over it, but every day after the almost accident he thought about her more, he was pretty sure he well on his way to being in love with her.

He wasn't even worried about everyone seeing them together. The way she had originally reacted to the idea concerned him though. She was worried about her friends' reaction obviously. He was a little worried too, but in all honesty if his friends didn't like it then they could lump it.

Draco felt his shoulder being shaken. "Draco….Draco, what the hell is going on with you" Blaise shook him from his reverie.

"What?"

"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes!" Blaise exclaimed.

"Ok, I've got something to tell you" Draco began "I'm sure you noticed that I'm not really here much at night" Blaise nodded. "I've been seeing someone, someone that our friends and family won't approve of. Someone you may not approve of." Draco told his best friend.

"Come now Draco, who would I not approve of, I mean it's not like its Granger or anything" Blaise laughed. Draco's face was stoic, he didn't say a word, and Blaise stopped, his jaw dropping "It's Granger?"

Draco nodded and waited for the tirade about to come his way.

"Well, okay. What's the deal?" Blaise asked.

"What?"

"Well you must be getting something out of this, what is it? I mean, she'll make you look a hell of a lot better to our world, is that it?" Blaise prompted.

"Watch your mouth Blaise Zabini, before I smack you in it." Draco threatened.

"All right, all right. But I don't understand, you hate Granger" Blaise conceded.

Draco shook his head.

"Okay, explain" Blaise asked and Draco went on to explain the incident with the bricks and the events after.

…..

Neville looked up from his Transfiguration homework when Hermione entered their shared common room.

"You're late" he commented.

"Err… yeah" Hermione didn't know what to say so she said nothing, sitting on the couch next to him to look at what he was doing.

"Hermione, why do you smell like aftershave?"

Hermione groaned internally, she hadn't noticed that the expensive aftershave smell had rubbed off on her. Draco's spicy scent was all over her.

"Hermione?" Neville prompted for an answer.

"Oh Merlin. Okay, the past couple of weeks I've been seeing someone" Hermione admitted.

"Oh. Really? I always thought that you would get back with Ron" Neville replied, turning back to his homework.

"No Neville, that will never happen" Hermione firmly told him. "Don't you want to know who it is?"

Neville looked up from his homework and saw Hermione biting her bottom lip. She was really nervous about telling him "Do you want to tell me?"

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief; Neville was not going to force her to say it like the others would. She was so worried about telling her friends about the relationship, especially as she still wasn't that confident about what it really was.

"Thanks Neville" she said and went up the stairs to her room, in two days time Neville along with everyone else would know anyway.

…..

The next morning Hermione and Neville left their rooms together and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

They were discussing changes that needed to be made to the Prefect's schedule, as Qudditch was about to start and some of the Prefect's need to change routines to include practice.

Neither was really paying much attention as to where they were going, after seven years of walking the halls their feet pretty much took them. As they entered the hall Neville walked straight into Draco Malfoy.

"Sorry" Neville said before realising who he had bumped into.

"Watch where you're going Longbottom" Draco snapped. He realised Hermione was behind Neville and lost the scowl on his face quickly. Neville noticed the change in Draco's face before realising he recognized the aftershave he could smell.

His jaw dropped as he turned to Hermione. She grabbed him and dragged him down to the Gryffindor table.

"Please Neville. Please don't!" begged Hermione trying to stop him from losing control of his shock and blurting out to the entire hall that she was dating Draco.

Neville got control of his jaw and took a breath. "Malfoy, are you serious Hermione?" he whispered.

"Neville please, I really don't know how it started. Please just don't tell anyone."

"But Hermione, he's a death eater. You're Harry Potter's best friend. How can you possibly be dating Draco Malfoy?"

"Neville, he isn't a death eater. You know as well as I do that he didn't kill Dumbledore, Harry spoke up for him at the Ministry trials. Neville please, by the weekend everyone will know, please just keep it quiet until then." Hermione pleaded.

"Okay Hermione. But if he does anything to hurt you, I will hurt him" Neville put emphasis by stabbing his fork into a piece of sausage.

…

**Saturday Morning**

Hermione was lying in bed with the covers over her face. She repeatedly looked at the clock and put off getting up until Neville knocked on her door.

"Hermione, I'm going down to the Great Hall for breakfast, are you coming?" he called.

She answered with a yelled "yes" but still didn't move. She was absolutely dreading everyone's reactions to her relationship with Draco, although the prospect of the actual date excited her very much.

A while later there was another knock on her door. "Hermione, you didn't come down and we have don't have long before we have to help get everyone in the carriages"

"I'm coming Neville" Hermione called, and pulled herself out of the bed and into her little bathroom.

She quickly used the facilities and brushed her teeth. She then threw on a pair of jeans and a blue strap top, covered with a white thin fitted jacket. She spelled her hair so that she could leave it down without it looking frizzy and put on some mascara and lip-gloss.

A quick look in the mirror to check her reflection and she ran down the stairs and into the common room.

Again Neville had saved her from starvation by bringing her up a bacon sandwich and a glass of pumpkin juice. "Neville you're too good to me" Hermione said around a mouthful of sandwich and they left to meet everyone in the courtyard.

Neville joined Professor McGonagall collecting the permission slips off the third year students and Hermione began directing everyone into the carriages that would take them to the small wizarding village.

After all the students had been accounted for and Hermione had handed out detention to a pair of second years who had tried to sneak into a carriage she and Neville got into the last one and they made their way down to Hogsmeade.

Hermione still had an hour before she was supposed to meet Draco at the Three Broomsticks. She went to Honeydukes and Scrivenshaft's Quill shop to pick up a new quill.

She saw Ginny and Harry in Madam Pudifoot's having tea. He had come to see her, as they didn't get to spend as much time together now that she was back at school.

She made her way back down the high street and stopped outside the front door of the pub. She took a couple of deep breaths before pushing the door open.

Her eyes immediately looked for him, landing on a booth in the corner of the room. He was sat with two butterbeers and waiting for her.

A quick scope of the room showed her that most of their year was in the pub; 'no time like the present' she decided and walked over to him.

She sat down next to him and heard the entire pub go silent as Draco kissed her. She smiled and took a sip of her drink.

"I missed you" Draco whispered in her ear, making her grin from ear to ear. He took her hand and kissed it, refusing to let go.

Hermione tried desperately to ignore the whispering and staring all around her but found it got harder and harder as time went on. After she finished her drink she gripped Draco's hand and got up, leaving the pub with Draco right behind her.

"Sorry, I just couldn't handle all the staring, I hate it so much" Hermione explained once they got out of the pub.

"Okay, no problem. Would you prefer Madam Pudifoot's?" Draco asked.

"Oh no, I don't think we will be going there. Harry and Ginny are there" Hermione told him.

"So you don't want to tell the boy wonder then" Draco commented.

"Well I would prefer to tell him myself as opposed to springing it on him walking in there with you. But another problem is that wherever Harry is, the press is, I don't really think I want this to be in the Daily Prophet just yet" Hermione explained.

"Ah. Well I agree with you there" Draco, quickly pecked her on the lips. "Well how about we just walk around and see what we find?"

Hermione nodded and they began to walk down the high street.

_AN: Looking forward to the reviews._


	9. Chapter 9

_AN: It took a few days, but I think it was worth it. I hope you all feel the same, only well to tell me is with reviews._

_Thank you as always to Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over. Go over to her profile for some great stories._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this._

Draco took her hand and began to lead her down the high street. They passed Zonko's Joke Shop; it was still boarded up and had a 'For Sale' sign hanging in the window. Hermione mentioned to Draco that Fred and George had been thinking of buying it but now was unsure if George was still going to.

Hermione pointed to a pretty pale blue dress robe in the window of Gladrags Wizardwear, and then had to force Draco away to stop him buying it for her. No way was she going to allow that.

Eventually they made their way around the corner and decided to escape the staring students on the street by going into the Hog's Head for a drink. Aberforth Dumbledore immediately served them, not allowing the young waitress anywhere near the heroin of the war and insisting anything they needed would be provided by him on the house.

They each ordered a butterbeer and sat in the dark corner of the pub, finally getting a little alone time on their date.

"Hermione please allow me to get you the robes, you've just had a birthday and I got you nothing, thanks to you not telling me" Draco asked for the seventh time since passing the shop.

"Draco there really is no need and I know you're mad at me for not telling you but really we had only just started meeting in the tower, I didn't think it was important" Hermione replied, gripping his hand.

"Fine" Draco huffed then after a moment smirked at his lovely girlfriend, making her worry about what he was planning.

They ordered sandwiches from Aberforth for lunch and ate quietly together.

Hermione was beginning to worry again; she was really not looking forward to going back to school that evening and facing everyone.

She decided to start up a conversation before she could get too distracted and put her sandwich down. "How is your mother?"

Draco was a little taken aback; put his food down and swallowed quickly, he and Hermione had deliberately not mentioned either of their parents as it was still a raw subject for both of them.

"She is well thank you. I hear from her almost daily. She is a little agitated from being in the house all of the time. Our usual protective enchantments have been taken down thanks to the ministry so she cannot even go into her garden as the press are camped everywhere"

"Ah yes, they are a pain. They follow Harry mostly but Ronald and I have had our fair share of hounding, I'm quite glad to be back at school, because they can't get in" Hermione explained.

"Well you did save the world, I assume it comes with the territory, be glad that they have a good reason to hound you, ninety percent of what they print about me is quite horrid and most of it is completely untrue. That bloody Skeeter woman better hope I never meet her again" Draco answered.

"Ah well I think I can help you there" Hermione told him with a massive grin on her face. She explained her little secret about Rita Skeeter and her methods of finding out information on people… "So you see, you don't need to risk getting into any trouble to deal with her, you can just threaten to go to the Ministry and tell them she is an unregistered Animagus"

Draco's smirk doubled in size and his Slytherin mind began working over that idea.

"So back on topic, apart from the never being able to leave the house issue my mother is fine" Hermione smiled and nodded. In all reality Narcissa Malfoy was not really involved in what had happened to her at the Manor, and she did save Harry.

"What about your parents? No one could ever find them during the war, believe me my father's friends looked" Draco asked.

"Ah well I don't really know how they are..." Hermione answered and took another bite of her sandwich.

"What do you mean?" Draco enquired.

Hermione took a moment and then answered by explaining what she had done to protect them before she went on the Horcrux hunt. "I haven't gone back to Australia yet. There wasn't much time between the final battle and coming back to school and to be honest I didn't really know what I was going to tell them"

Draco slipped his arm around her shoulders as she visibly slumped in her seat. "Don't worry, you will find them. I will do anything I can to help" he reassured her.

"Thank you Draco. As of now they are living comfortably as Wendell and Monica Wilkins and until I know what I'm going to do about it I can feel some relief that they are safe and happy"

Hermione stayed in Draco's embrace for the rest of their lunch and after thanking Aberforth and finally being allowed to pay after a lot of insistence they left the pub and continued to walk around the more deserted end of Hogsmeade.

They began walking up the road towards the Shrieking Shack when Hermione pulled back. "Sorry Draco but I really don't want to go there"

"Of course sweetheart, anything you like" he replied and pulled her into his side.

She felt a tingle go through her entire body when he called her sweetheart. It was so un-Malfoyish, yet it seemed to fit as it came from his mouth.

They walked around another corner to find a completely deserted stretch of road, a single cottage sat at the end, and it appeared to be empty, its residents away at work.

They walked around the road in silence, just spending uninterrupted time together, without worrying about curfews or being caught. Hermione enjoyed the feel or Draco's arm wrapped around her. She fit completely in his side.

"Draco, my dormitory should be empty for a while, let's go back and relax before the whispering and interrogating begins" Hermione said, biting her lip waiting for his response.

Draco felt his excitement at the prospect of being in the room alone with her all the way down to his trousers but held back, perfectly placing his Malfoy mask over his face. "That would be very nice" he said and allowed her to lead the way back toward the castle.

They walked quickly, having to duck into some small shops on the way to avoid Harry and Ginny and then the press that were following Harry and Ginny, eventually making it to the carriages. They got into one and set off back to the castle.

Draco took the opportunity on the way to pull Hermione into his lap and kiss her. He simply could not keep his hands off of her and was dreading that evening when he would eventually have to go back to the Slytherin dorms.

Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and gently kissed him back, eventually giving in and opening her mouth allowing Draco to slip his tongue in between her lips. He had one hand on her back holding her in place, the other sliding up into her wild curls and gripping, holding her mouth to his.

They kissed for the entire journey and only realised they were at Hogwarts when the enchanted carriage shook, obviously impatient to be getting back down to Hogsmeade to pick up its next passengers.

They left the carriage, Draco held Hermione's little bags from Honeydukes and the Quill shop and she led him through the castle and up to the Head dorms. She whispered the password to the painting. Once inside Hermione took her new quill to her room and then came and sat with Draco in front of the fireplace.

She leaned into his side as he put an arm around her. He used his free hand to lift her chin up; looking her in the eye he came in for a sweet kiss, a kiss that he deepened when he felt Hermione embrace him.

He slowly leaned forward, pushing Hermione back on to the couch, eventually finding himself between her legs, his body fully covering hers. His kisses became more passionate, thrusting his tongue into her open mouth, feeling her moan, as he made sure she felt his excitement against her centre.

"Hermione, if you want to stop, you need to tell me" he whispered in a strained voice.

Hermione tensed up. It had only been two weeks; she couldn't consider sleeping with him, although her body was severely betraying her, the wetness between her legs seeping through her underwear and into her jeans, making them extremely uncomfortable.

A moment more hesitation and she stopped him. "I'm sorry, I just can't yet" she replied, hoping that he wouldn't be too annoyed about having to stop.

Draco groaned but nodded. He knew it was too soon really. "It's okay. I just want you. I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in my entire life"

Hermione smiled and placed a small kiss on his lips "I want you too. I just don't think I'm ready to have full on sex yet" she smirked when she saw that he understood what she was actually saying.

She swore she heard him whisper "Oh Merlin" when she climbed out from underneath him and took his hand, leading him up the stairs and to her room.

Once they entered her bedroom and Hermione shut the door Draco paused, he really wasn't sure how far she wanted to take it and he knew that there would be a point that he wouldn't be able to stop so he had to stay in control.

Hermione took his hand again and led him to the bed, pushing him down on it and climbing on top of him, straddling his lap. She leant down and kissed his jaw. She tentatively slipped her tongue out and licked his neck, jaw line and ear, eventually gently biting down on the lobe.

She tried to remember everything he had done to her over the last couple of weeks, she hadn't allowed him to remove any clothing or touch lower than her neckline so she only had attention to her neck to work from, but it seemed to be working.

Draco was running his hands up and down her sides, she could feel how hard he was underneath her and it made her nether regions pulse. She continued working on his neck, fumbling with the buttons on the shirt he had worn for their date. She worked her way around his jaw and to the right hand side of his neck just under the ear.

She kissed it and felt him thrust up. She tried again and felt him moan and thrust again. Deciding she had found a favourite spot on him she began to suck on the spot.

Draco couldn't take anymore; he flipped them over and wrapped her legs around his waist. He unbuttoned her jacket and pulled it off, followed by her little blue strap top off. His shirt followed and he kissed her again, not wanting to push it too far.

The kissing and touching intensified; Hermione ran her hand down his chest, feeling his strong abdominal muscles moving beneath her fingers. She grabbed the hand that was in her hair and moved it to her left breast.

Draco stiffened for a moment, desperately trying to hold on to his control and not tear her jeans off to bury himself deep inside her. He tentatively cupped the breast. It was firm and soft all at the same time, and fit perfectly in his hand.

He felt her gasp as his hand brushed her erect nipple and smirked down at her. He softly laid his hand directly over it and began to fondle her breast, enjoying as the beautiful witch under him arched into his touch.

He took the chance and took it to the next level, pulling down the cup of her bra and tweaking the nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Hermione's keening moan told him that she was completely enjoying his ministrations. He bent his head and took the nipple into his mouth, using his hand to pull the cup of the other breast down and using his fingers to play with the other nipple.

Hermione had not felt a sensation like it before and moaned in earnest. She reached down and unbuttoned Draco's trousers, feeling him stop his ministrations on her. He looked down and watched as she carefully unzipped his and pushed his trousers down.

Draco grabbed her hand before she could reach out and touch him, "Sweetheart, if you do that, I won't be able to stop" he warned her.

He entwined their fingers and settled himself against her, slowly rubbing himself against her centre only stopping when she pushed him up and removed her own jeans.

She gasped and thrust herself against his hardened length, earning a moan from Draco. He gripped her hair and thrust his tongue into her mouth, continuing with the same movement against her clit, the only thing separating them were his boxers and her thin panties.

Draco increased his thrusts, kissing and sucking Hermione's neck, gripping her hip and rubbing against her clit over and over, feeling himself getting close. He kissed up her neck and whispered "Cum for me my beautiful witch" before biting down on her ear.

All the new sensations and the feel of his breath against her skin as he called her beautiful caused the coil that had been tightening in her bell to snap, making her fly over the edge and tremble in his arms.

Watching her cum so suddenly made Draco lose his control and cum against her. He thrust a little longer, slowing down and stopping with a light kiss to her lips.

"Wow" Hermione answered the kiss.

"Merlin" Draco panted out. "Well I've never done that before. You're so beautiful Hermione."

"What?"

"Cum like that" Draco answered. "without penetration. It's you, you do something to me"

It was Hermione's turn to smirk although it was ruined a little with the blush that graced her cheeks as she felt exactly how wet he had made her.

He kissed her again and rolled to the side pulling her close. She cuddled into his side for a while until her stomach rumbled, causing her to blush again and Draco to have to stifle his laughter.

After a quick _scourgify_ and redressing they made their way down to the hall, now all they had to do was brave everyone else's reaction.

_AN: So I finally let them have a bit of fun. Next up everyone else's reaction to Draco and Hermione. Love getting the reviews so press the button._


	10. Chapter 10

_AN: Wow, you guys liked the last chapter! All your reviews inspired me so much that I wrote this in less than 2 hours, I have never written anything so quickly, so just goes to show that if you review it gets my blood flowing. Hopefully you will like this chapter just as much._

_Thanks to Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over. I highly recommend her stories so head over to her profile._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from it._

They walked into the Great Hall holding hands. Draco kissed Hermione quickly on the lips before finally letting go and joining the Slytherin table. Hermione took a deep breath, tried and failed to stifle the smile on her face and walked down the Gryffindor table to sit with her friends.

You could hear a pin drop in the hall at that moment. A quick glance at the staff table showed that even they could not hide their shock, although Professor McGonagall managed to close her mouth quickly and continued with her meal, the others following in her footsteps.

Ginny was the first to accost Hermione when she sat down, "So its official, you have literally lost your mind. What in Merlin's baggy shorts do you think you're doing 'Mione?"

"Well I'm attempting to have a nice peaceful meal, but maybe it's a trick question" Hermione answered, using sarcasm to avoid the actual issue at hand.

"You know what I mean Hermione, out in front of everyone during our Hogsmeade trip and now that disturbing display. I had to lie to Harry, I don't appreciate it" Ginny huffed.

Hermione did feel a little bad that she had caused a problem for her best female friend. "I'm sorry Gin, I just wasn't ready to tell him, I will I swear"

"Damn right you will, because I won't do it again" Ginny got up and the left the hall, without even finishing her meal.

Dean and Seamus accosted her next. "You know I think you'll laugh Hermione" Seamus said first.

"What?"

"Well earlier we heard this tall tale that you had gone on a date with Draco Malfoy, something we both found quite funny, third years and their jokes. But just now I swear I saw you kiss him, thought I should go to the hospital wing and get my eyes checked" Dean finished.

"Your eyes are fine" Hermione answered quickly, this was not going well.

"Hermione, he's Draco Malfoy. Don't be a fool" Dean said, lowering his voice to attempt to keep the conversation private, but the whole hall was listening so it was slightly pointless.

"Thank you Dean, I'm quite aware of who he is" Hermione replied, only stopping when a shriek was heard from the Slytherin table, followed by a show of Pansy storming out of the hall.

She had come in after Draco and Hermione and immediately sat next to Draco and took his hand. "I'm sorry to tell you dearest, but someone is spreading an awful rumour about. It's going around the school that you went on a date with the mudblood"

Draco pulled his hand away from Pansy and wiped it on his napkin like he was wiping away dirt.

"Firstly Parkinson," he spat, "touch me in such a familiar way again and I will curse your hand off. Secondly Hermione and I had a lovely date in Hogsmeade today and thirdly if you call my girlfriend a mudblood again, I will not be held responsible for what happens to you"

Pansy shrieked and stormed out of the hall.

Having already known what was going on with Draco's love life, Blaise whispered to him that the way he handled that was a bit harsh but said nothing else; the look in Draco's eye stopped anyone else from saying anything else.

Unfortunately for Hermione, her friends were not so quiet. Parvati had admonished Hermione for her choice in boyfriend before leaving the hall, Dean and Seamus following after her.

Lavender just gave Hermione a dirty look, but it was nothing new from the horrible little girl and Hermione took it as water off a ducks back. Neville patted Hermione on the shoulder, and told her he would see her in their rooms, as he had already resigned himself to the fact.

Luna had blamed Wrackspurts and told Hermione that she would find a cure for the current situation and not to worry, skipping away with a dreamy look in her eye.

After a mixture of dirty looks and pity, Hermione decided to give up on dinner and just go to bed. She waved quickly to Draco and left the hall.

Half way up the grand staircase she felt someone grab her hand, war instincts kicking in she whipped out her wand and turned swiftly, pointing it at her assailants face.

"Oh. Oh I'm sorry, habit" she explained dropping her wand.

"Did you really think I was going to let you go without a kiss goodnight?" Draco whispered in her ear, before giving her a mind-blowing kiss, practically lifting her off the steps.

After putting her back down and smirking very slightly at the enormous blush gracing her face, Draco turned and made his way down to the dungeons.

Hermione took a second to get her brain back into gear and then made her way to the fourth floor, and her dormitory.

She said the password and walked in, more than ready to go to bed. She found Neville laying back on one of the couches, waiting for her.

"So Hermione, quite a way to tell the whole school" he smiled to show he was just kidding, he decided she had been given enough trouble for one evening.

"Yeah, probably not the best way, but now everyone knows and they can get all the whispering and pointing out of the way quicker" Hermione responded, lifting his feet and sitting, resting them in her lap.

"Not everyone knows. And after the nasty look on Pansy's face at dinner, I'm willing to bet it's all over the Prophet tomorrow. Don't you think you should tell Harry and Ron?" Neville said, and watched as the colour drained from Hermione's face.

"Oh no. I didn't think about them finding out like that. Neville, have I told you that you're too good to me?" she exclaimed, before jumping back up and running up to her room to write a letter to Harry.

She ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, taking a second to remember earlier and to blush after looking at her bed. She sat at her desk and pulling a fresh piece of parchment from one of the drawers, began to write:

_Dearest Harry_

_How are you and everyone at the Burrow? I hope well._

_I have a little piece of news. I have a strong feeling that you're not going to like it but I hope you can find it in you to support my decision. I wanted to tell you in person but I've got a feeling my time has run out on that front so I'm afraid it has to be in this letter._

_For the last couple of weeks I've been seeing Draco Malfoy. I know you probably think I've been Imperioused or something, and trust me I did think of that myself, but really he has been really nice to me. He isn't at all how he used to be, to be honest I think we never really saw the real him._

_I really hope that you will be with me on this and Ron too; he's still my best friend, even if he doesn't see it that way anymore._

_Love as always_

_Hermione_

Hermione reread the letter three times before deciding that there was no other way she would be able to put it to make it sound any better and decided she had best just send it. Hopefully it would make it to Harry before he found out any other way.

She made a hasty trip to the owlery, not wanting to get caught out after curfew, being Head Girl only got you so far with the professors.

When she got back Neville was in his room and she decided he had the right idea, and went to bed.

…..

The next morning Hermione was awoken by a tapping at her bedroom window. She groaned and pulled herself out of bed and opened the window to find Harry's new owl impatiently waiting to come in.

Much like Hedwig, she had some serious attitude. "I'm sorry" Hermione said to the bird as she tried to peck Hermione's fingers. Hermione gave her an owl treat and untied the letter.

_Dear Hermione_

_We were all a little surprised by your news. The boys have reacted in the way you would expect considering the contents of your letter. Harry is allowing me to borrow his owl though, as Errol really doesn't look up to trip to Hogwarts._

_I wanted to just say that even though I don't really understand why you have decided to date the young man, Arthur and I fully support you and you are welcome here any time as always._

_Love_

_Molly Weasley_

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Her best friends didn't want to write back to her and Mrs. Weasley felt that she had to in their stead. So as it stood the only person who had a kind word to say to her after yesterday's visual announcement was Neville.

She read the letter again before deciding to try and shrug it off and go to breakfast. She quickly showered and put on some jeans and a t-shirt. It was Sunday, the library would be completely empty, allowing Hermione the opportunity to work on her assignments and not have to deal with the staring for a day.

It was still early and Hermione found the hall to be fairly empty. She was the only Gryffindor in the hall, and only a few Hufflepuff second years were around, making Hermione breathe a sigh of relief and choose some sausages and eggs for breakfast, hoping to actually finish a meal for a change.

She sat and ate peacefully, only stopping to take her Daily Prophet from the delivery owl. Sure enough the front page was covered with her face and a long and mostly untrue story about hers and Draco's relationship.

The picture was awful, from just after the battle, she was still covered in blood, rubble and all manner of other things she didn't want to think about. Rita Skeeter had risked Hermione exposing her, obviously she just couldn't pass up this one, well Hermione would make damn sure she regretted it.

Just as she folded the paper and slammed it down on the table, the doors of the Great Hall opened and admitted Draco. He walked straight over to Hermione and kissed her full on the lips. When he finally let her up for air he looked down at the paper, "so you've seen it"

"Yes. I think Miss Skeeter needs a reminder of what the inside of a jam jar looks like" Hermione huffed. "Can you believe this drivel? She actually went as far as to claim that we have been dating since the Triwizard Tournament and that I dumped Viktor Krum for you!"

"Honestly, who is going to believe this crap, the war just barely ended, aren't there more important things to write about?" Hermione continued her rant until Draco had to kiss her again just to shut her up.

"Bored housewives will believe it and who cares about them" Draco told her. "What shall we do today?" He asked when he saw that he wasn't going to get an answer out of the furious witch.

"I thought I would go to the library and do some assignments" Hermione answered.

"Surely there is something more interesting to do. I can think of something" Draco kissed her neck and began to run his hand up her thigh.

"Draco, for goodness sake we are in the Great Hall!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing his hand, "and as much as I am sure I would enjoy that I'm going to the library"

"Fine" Draco conceded, "I have to do my defence assignment anyway"

After finishing her breakfast, and making Draco have something to eat too they made their way to the library.

Hermione managed to get three lines written on her parchment before Draco began tracing his hand up her back underneath her shirt. After much wiggling and a gasp when he unhooked her bra with one hand Hermione gave in.

"Come on, let's get out of here" She whispered and gathered her things.

_AN: What did you think? I rather liked it lol. Reviews are the best way to tell me._


	11. Chapter 11

_AN: I know it's taken forever, it's awful and I know as a reader it drives me mad waiting ages for the chapter and if I could spend all day writing I would because I love it, but unfortunately work have decided that I can't get away with not doing work anymore and that leaves me struggling to keep awake in the evenings so hopefully you guys will be patient with me, and I'm really hoping the contents of this chapter will make up for my absence._

_Dedicating this chapter to **the-PiXiE-kid** as she gave me the idea for a very important part of it and she thoroughly deserves the credit because I'm 1000% sure I wouldn't have thought of it._

_Thanks to Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over. Go over to her profile for some highly recommended stories._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing and no infringement is intended, I have no affiliation with the Harry Potter universe._

Two months had past and most of the hype over Draco and Hermione's relationship had calmed down, at least for the younger students. Unfortunately her friends were a different matter. Ginny was giving Hermione the cold shoulder whether she was with Draco or not, in fact it did seem that Neville was still the only one that was showing her any kind of support and Hermione was willingly taking it however reluctantly it was given.

A little relief came in the form of Seamus, Dean and Parvati, who were talking to her as long as Draco wasn't around, however she still had not heard from Harry or Ron and didn't know whether to feel hurt or angry or both, after all Draco was her choice and as her best friends they should support that choice no matter what their own feelings.

Draco on the other hand was fairing rather well. Apart from having Pansy try every trick she could think of to split them up, he didn't really have any issues from his friends. Blaise knew that Draco really liked Hermione, to actually show her off the way he did proved it, so said nothing and was polite to Hermione if she was with Draco.

Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode didn't pay much attention, just trying to get on with the school year without too much trouble. He hadn't heard from Goyle, but considering his oldest friend could barely write he hadn't expected to.

The one person he had been a little disappointed about was his mother. She had written to him after the Daily Prophet article insisting that he make a statement contradicting what Rita Skeeter had written and had not responded well when Draco informed her that he would do no such thing as he was rather happily dating Hermione.

She had made it clear that he was not welcome home unless the relationship ended. He made it clear that she could shove the manor if that was how she felt. It was the first time in his life he felt any peace or happiness and he wasn't giving it up because his mother had still not learned her lesson.

Hermione had taken that news rather badly, saying she understood if he wanted to end things, she didn't expect him to give up his home and his family for her, but Draco had insisted that his mother would have to respect his decision or accept the consequences.

As the weather turned snowy and the corridors of Hogwarts castle grew more draftee Hermione and Draco began to spend more and more time holed up in Hermione's room in the head quarters, much to Neville's displeasure.

He was willing to support Hermione, but he did not need his childhood tormentor constantly in his living quarters. He told Hermione as much and found himself alone in the common room a lot as Hermione and Draco would go straight up to the her room to give him his space.

Draco was laid back against Hermione's pillows checking through a homework assignment for the last time while Hermione sat at her desk finishing off one of her own. They certainly spent time fooling around but nothing had gone further than what had happened on their first date.

"Hermione, the Christmas Holidays will be upon us in a couple of weeks, do you know what you are doing?" Draco asked after reading through the last paragraph of his work.

"Well, normally I would have gone home and then to the Burrow, but obviously neither option is really available now, I guess I'll just stay at school. What about you, I mean your mother isn't too happy, are you going home?" Hermione asked.

"No, I was just going to stay here, but now that you're staying too I'm much happier about it" Draco sent a cheeky smirk her way before getting off the bed and picking her up out of the chair and sitting her on his lap, placing a kiss to her lips.

"Is Longbottom going home?" he asked, silently praying she would say yes.

"I haven't asked him" Hermione replied, seeing the cogs working in Draco's head.

"It would be a very nice Christmas indeed if he was, I would certainly like some alone time with you" Draco said straight into her ear whilst kissing the lobe.

"Draco, we are alone," Hermione protested.

"Oh no my darling, I mean completely alone, with no worrying about anyone else at all" Draco whispered, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

The idea certainly made Hermione happy, almost to the point of tingly, which gave her a thought. "What if I could come up with a way for us to be alone over the two weeks?" Hermione asked him.

"I'm listening" Draco responded.

"Well as far as I know, my family home is still standing and still in my parents name. I put quite a few wards on it so it should've been safe over the last year, we could go there for the holidays"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, and I can confirm that the death eaters never found your home, believe me they looked" Draco told her. Hermione was happy to hear that her childhood home was still standing, but it still unnerved her when she thought about the fact that her boyfriend was in fact a death eater and not so long ago living at death eater headquarters. She didn't like the reminder at all.

"Well good, I will add our names to the list of students going home tomorrow" Hermione told Draco, giving him a quick peck on the lips and climbing out of his lap and quickly going into her little bathroom.

Draco's shoulders dropped a little, she always got like this when he mentioned anything to do with his knowledge of the death eaters, in fact just the reminder of them made her distant and quiet, but he had hoped the news of her home would make her a little happy.

"Hermione, I'm sorry" Draco said through the door after knocking and getting no response. The door slowly creaked open and Hermione emerged, she had taken a few breaths and told herself to stop, she fought in the war so that the prejudice would stop, and at least with Draco it had so she had to stop running away, now!

"You don't need to apologise, it's just still a little fresh" Hermione told him quietly, taking his hand and leading him to the bed.

They lay down and relaxed, Hermione curling into Draco's side. She fell asleep not long after and Draco had a hard time tearing himself away to go back down to the dungeons, he would have loved just to stay the whole night holding her close, but in two weeks he could do exactly that and hopefully more.

….

Two weeks of handing in assignments and patrolling and Hermione was more than ready for some time off, and extremely excited to be going home, after more than a year away.

Of course all her work was done weeks before but she had to triple check everything before she was satisfied and Draco constantly trying to take her attention away, mainly with his beautiful lips and delectable tongue, didn't help.

It was the night before they were due to go home and Hermione had finally managed to get Draco to go down to the dungeons and pack and was laying on a couch in the common room for just five minutes before she went to pack her trunk.

Neville sat next to her and pulled her feet into his lap, softly rubbing them. "What are your plans for the holidays 'Mione?"

"I don't really have any plans, I assume my house will need some form of cleaning after over a year of abandonment and then I suppose we can do our holiday assignments and maybe teach Draco how a television works as he has no idea what it is" Hermione replied.

"Draco? You mean to say he is staying with you?" Neville asked in a shocked tone, stopping his ministrations on Hermione's feet.

"Yes of course, didn't I tell you? Sorry I thought I had" Hermione responded.

"Oh for Merlin's sake Hermione, in school where you are protected is one thing, but alone for two weeks with Draco 'I kiss death eater butt' Malfoy is just plain insanity, what the hell are you thinking?" Neville all but shrieked at her, practically throwing her feet from his lap as he jumped up from the couch.

"How dare you?" Hermione shrieked straight back. "What has gotten into you Neville? You've been so supportive"

"Well I thought you would see sense, that this was just some sort of rebellion after being so straight-laced all these years. I thought you would see…..never mind" Neville turned his back and his shoulders visibly sagged.

Hermione felt the rage blow out of her in watching that simple movement; she crossed the floor and put a hand on Neville's shoulder "see what Neville?"

He shook his head and shrugged her hand off, crossing the room towards the staircase that led to their bedrooms; he stopped at the bottom step but did not turn around "I thought you would see that I'm in love with you"

….

The next morning Neville did his utmost to avoid Hermione as much as possible; he was up, dressed and down in the Great Hall before Hermione had even stirred and after breakfast was busy helping to get all the other students to the train without incident.

He barely grunted when Hermione caught up with him and mumbled Merry Christmas before turning his back. He sorely wished he had just kept his mouth shut, but he just couldn't bear the thought of Hermione spending two weeks alone with Malfoy.

Hermione sat in one of the Hogwarts Express' smaller compartments waiting for Draco to finish whatever he was doing with his Slytherin friends. She was still speechless over Neville's confession, she hadn't really known what to say to him this morning even when she managed to get his attention, and she didn't know whether or not she was relieved when he turned his back or not.

She had always thought he liked Luna, the signs pointed that way for years, now she felt like she would lose another friend and she was devastated, what a wonderful start to Christmas.

She was staring out of the window and didn't even know Draco had entered the compartment until she felt him wrap his arms around her and kiss her cheek, "what has my beautiful witch in such deep thought?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing, nothing at all" Hermione answered quickly, wiping the tears for another loss quickly.

"It is quite clearly not nothing, tell me" Draco all but demanded when he saw her tear tracks, whoever had upset her would be made to suffer.

"Oh it really is silly, it's just a misunderstanding, and I am being overly emotional" Hermione soothed, she really didn't want to tell Draco the actual reason because she knew the only way he would take the news was with a large jolt of jealousy, which would not bode well for Neville.

"Hermione please, tell me what's upset you" Draco was beginning to worry he had done something wrong.

Hermione sighed deeply, she knew the look in his eye, he was worried and he wasn't going to give up until she told him something, and if she lied it would come out in the end looking much worse.

"It's just a small thing with Neville, and I would be really upset if I couldn't fix it because he has been the only one who hasn't given me hell over our relationship and showed himself to be a very good friend, I just don't want to lose that"

"What was the misunderstanding?" Draco asked, barely keeping control on his temper, Longbottom was in serious trouble, no one was allowed to make his girl cry.

"He um….. he was a little upset about our change in plans for Christmas, you see he err…." Hermione really didn't want to tell Draco what Neville had said.

"Hermione, if he has done something to you I will make him suffer, so please just tell me" Draco coaxed, his frayed temper was ready to snap.

"Well he seems to think that he is in love…with me"

Draco instantly got up from his position on the bench and pulled his wand; "If that idiot is on the train, I will kill him" Draco vowed and stepped out of the compartment before Hermione could even catch a breath.

She got up and ran down the small walkway after him, she caught up and grabbed his wand arm "Draco, he's staying at Hogwarts, he's not here. Come on lets go back, please" Hermione begged and pulled him back towards their compartment.

Draco conceded defeat and followed, fuming the entire way. Longbottom was bloody lucky he wasn't on the train.

"That stupid, little, idiot, what makes him think that a girl like you would go for his clumsy arse? I have a right mind to kick said arse," Draco ranted, pacing around the carriage.

"Draco please stop, I'm sure he is wrong, it's probably just the after affects of the war, we've lost so much, fought for so long, he'll forget it soon enough" Hermione reasoned, but Draco barely heard her, all he could think of was ways to murder Longbottom and each way became more violent and painful.

"Draco! Are you listening to me? What does it matter to you if he does feel that way, it doesn't mean he will get what he wants" Hermione asked.

"Of course not, it's not like you would leave me for him" Draco of old was back and stuck up his own backside and Hermione was having none of it.

"Draco Malfoy you will stop this right now! Neville Longbottom is a brave, decent and loving young man and any woman would be lucky to have him. So do not give yourself airs and graces that you are better than him or you will be sleeping out in our old shed for the entire Christmas holiday" Hermione shouted, poking him in the chest to emphasise her point.

"Now, we are going to end this conversation here and enjoy the rest of the train journey back, or so help me you will regret it" Hermione sat on the bench and crossed her arms, and she would not budge on the subject no matter what Draco tried next.

Draco shut up and sat in on the opposite bench, staring a hole in the wall above Hermione's head, Longbottom would not be getting away with coveting his girlfriend, Hermione did not need to know what he was planning.

A few hours later they made it to King's Cross, neither had spoken the entire journey and Hermione was beginning to think that if something didn't change then this holiday would be up there with some of her worst and considering what she had been doing the previous Christmas that was pretty bad.

When they got off the train and Draco had levitated their trunks on to a trolley they made their way towards the barrier that would take them out onto the main station. Hermione casually walked through the barrier and Draco followed with the trolley.

When they got outside they wheeled the trolley around the corner and into an alleyway before shrinking their trunks to pocket size and Hermione apparated them to a small alley on the end of her street "I would have taken us into the back garden but the wards would not have allowed you in" she explained.

She took Draco's hand, trying to get him to loosen his grip on his anger over Neville and led him halfway down the long street and stopped outside her house. Draco looked confused and turned to Hermione. "This is a dilapidated old hovel, how can the other muggles be happy to even have this in their street?" Draco exclaimed.

As opposed to be offended which Draco had expected as soon as he heard the words fall out of his own mouth, Hermione giggled. "Well it took a bit of work but I reversed the spell that is used on Hogwarts and other magical buildings to keep muggles away, mine keeps wizards away. The muggles on my road see my house" Hermione explained.

Draco's jaw dropped in awe of the clever witch in front of him "I know many people must have said this to you before, but you are a genius" Draco exclaimed. "But err…. can I see your house?"

Hermione laughed outright and using her coat to conceal her wand, cast a spell to remove the ward just for Draco, she still wanted to keep the house concealed, there were still people out there that would wish her harm.

What Draco saw next was much nicer than the dirty hovel. It was nothing like the Manor but there weren't many buildings magical or muggle in his eyes that were like the manor, but the building in front of him was very nice, and he could see Hermione living there.

It was two storeys however the attic seemed to have been converted to another room. The front dark brick with brown windowsills and the front door was the same colour but had a stained glass window.

Hermione led Draco to the front door and pulled out an old looking key from her pocket. They entered into a small but long hallway, a staircase to their right and two doors to their left.

Hermione took hers and Draco's coats and hung them on the hooks by the door before taking him for a tour of the house. The first door turned out to be the living room, it was decorated in creams and had various appliances that Draco could not make out, such as a square thing with buttons, which Hermione informed him was a stereo, the muggle way to play music.

The next door was the kitchen, it was ample in size and painted in a pale peach, the cupboards were pine and the appliances were all white. Hermione pointed out the electric kettle and did her best to explain the properties of a microwave, but Draco decided that he would much rather never know and have a house elf, thank you very much.

Draco followed Hermione upstairs to see three more doors. The one directly to his right was the bathroom; much to his delight the suite was green with a silver bath, toilet and sink. He decided that this was something he could have fun with and informed her that had her parents been wizards they most certainly would have been in Slytherin considering their excellent taste in colour.

Hermione huffed and pulled him from the bathroom and on to the next room, her parents' bedroom. It was painted in pastels and boasted a large wardrobe, king-size bed and another contraption that he didn't understand, he had seen something similar downstairs and upon pointing it out Hermione informed him it was the television she had been talking about.

Lastly Hermione showed him the room he was most interested in. She opened the door to reveal her room, painted in Lavender, carpeted in soft lilac and boasting…'oh no, a single bed' Draco thought.

Hermione saw where his attention was directed and giggled again, "twenty minutes in a muggle house and you forget who we are" she said, pulling her wand and casting '_engorgio_' at the bed, causing it to expand to a double.

Draco crossed his arms and huffed.

"Come on one more room and then we have things to do" Hermione said pulling him out of the room.

"Where can there be another room?" Draco asked, looking around for some sort of secret door. Hermione was thoroughly enjoying Draco's discoveries in the muggle world, and laughed outright at the look on his face when she reached up and pulled stairs down from the ceiling so that they could enter the study that had been converted from the loft.

It was decorated in an antique style, a large mahogany desk, covered in manila files and paperwork, Draco looked a little green at seeing a scan of someone's mouth. "What exactly does a dentist do?" he asked.

"Dentist's care for people's teeth, muggles don't have potions to fix broken teeth and gums, dentists take care of it for their patients" Hermione explained. Draco couldn't imagine having someone poking around in his mouth with metal instruments and certainly preferred spells and potions.

"Well you've seen everything. Let me set the house to work cleaning itself, then we can go to the shops and get some food, luckily my father's emergency money is still here so we don't have to apparate to a wizarding market, we can go to the muggle shop in the high street" Hermione said, leading Draco back down to the second floor landing and pushing the door shut.

"I've never been food shopping, our house elves take care of it" Draco admitted when Hermione enquired about the unsettled look on his face.

"Well I could go without you if you want" Hermione sighed.

"On no, you're not leaving me here so that I end up breaking the fellytision" Draco said, grabbing his coat from the hook and helping Hermione on with her own coat.

Hermione stifled her laugh and took his hand, "Come on then, let's take you on your first shopping trip"

They made the short walk to the high street quickly as the weather was getting colder and the sun would be going down very soon.

Hermione grabbed a trolley and began to choose items that she could cook without too much hassle and kept stopping to explain the fluorescent lighting, the machine the butcher used to cut the ham she had chosen, and couldn't stop herself laughing when they got near the tills and he jumped doing a 180 degree spin at the bleeping noise coming out of the machines as each product was scanned.

Once home Hermione put the shopping away and looked around her. The cleaning spells she had set before they left had done the trick, getting rid of all the dust, dirt and cobwebs that had built up over the past year, but Hermione couldn't help feeling that it just wasn't right, being there without her parents.

She set to work making dinner the muggle way as Draco sat at the kitchen table watching in fascination. They ate their Spaghetti Bolognese and talked about everything and nothing and then Hermione taught Draco how to clean up without magic, again he internally sighed in relief that he was a wizard and didn't have to do any of this stuff.

They spent the rest of the evening in front of the television, which ended in debating the point of people standing in front of a camera and "acting", as Draco had put it in quote marks every time he said it.

Eventually it was time for bed and Hermione's nerves came into play. She had contemplated this for the whole two weeks since they decided they would go home for Christmas, now she had to follow through on the things she had been thinking about.

Draco went ahead, using the bathroom and putting on his silk pyjamas and climbing into the enlarged bed while Hermione closed up the house for the night.

Hermione went into the bathroom, washed her face, brushed her teeth then took a deep breath looking in the mirror, 'come on Hermione, you've faced much scarier situations than this' she thought to herself.

She stripped off her jeans and sweater and threw them in the hamper, smiling when she saw that Draco had thrown his own in, he certainly felt at home, no more worrying that her house wouldn't be up to his standards.

She took her wand and transfigured the simple bra and panty set into something much sexier then exited the bathroom and crossed the hall to her bedroom door.

Draco looked up and felt his jaw drop as the bedroom door opened. Hermione stepped in wearing a blood red see-through thong and bra and her face almost matched the colour as her cheeks blushed.

She steadied herself with a deep breath and walked over to the bed, climbing on top of Draco and settling herself with her thighs either side of his legs. Before he was able to say anything she engulfed his mouth in a hot, wet kiss and began to unbutton his pyjama shirt.

When she finally broke the kiss allowing them to breathe Draco finally spoke, "Hermione are you sure about this? You don't have to"

Hermione silenced him with another kiss, which she then trailed across his jaw and down his neck. "I'll take that as a yes" he growled, flipping them over and covering Hermione with his body and licking a trail from her ear down to her breast, sucking in a nipple through the fabric of the bra, making her gasp and arch her body into him.

He tried hard to go slow but he had wanted Hermione from the minute he pulled her from under the bricks and watching her writhe under him made it very hard to hold back. As sexy as the bra and panties were they had to go. Draco grabbed his wand, vanished their clothes and cast a contraception charm before his mind completely deserted him.

He kissed her again and trailed his tongue back down her body, over her breasts, her abdomen and to the junction between her legs. He bent his head and took a careful lick of her clit and entrance. She tasted so sweet, she was soaking wet, making Draco sure that she really wanted this.

He spent a little time on pleasuring her with his mouth, something she had not allowed him to do before and seemed to be enjoying very much if the way she gripped the sheets was any indication.

Draco eventually concentrated his efforts on her engorged clit, only occasionally slipping down to probe her entrance. Her legs began to tremble and Draco decided now was the time, while she was enjoying it, because he knew with his size he was going to hurt her.

He quickly pulled himself up to look in her eye and used his hand to line himself up with her entrance. He kissed her as he plunged in, trying his best not to prolong the pain for her.

She cried out into his mouth and began to pant, Draco holding still so that she could adjust, painfully waiting for some kind of sign that she was okay to continue.

Hermione took a moment to let the initial pain pass then experimentally moved her hips. Draco kissed her again and slowly pulled half out and pushed back in, she winced but did not ask him to stop.

He continued at the slow pace, using everything he had in him to hold back when all he really wanted was to piston into her, she was so tight and wet and he was struggling.

Hermione began to feel a tingling sensation in her lower regions, the pain had dissipated into a dull ache and she was beginning to enjoy the feeling of him moving in and out of her body.

She began trying to thrust her hips in time with his movements coaxing him to go faster and harder. Draco began to feel his balls tightening, he slowed down so that he didn't explode right then and moved his hand down in between them, finding her clit and rubbing it.

Hermione let out a moan that made Draco want to explode. He lifted himself onto his knees so that he could give her clit more attention, using his thumb to rub it in time with his thrusts, his other hand pebbling her nipple.

Hermione began to feel her body tighten, she knew she was about to orgasm, and she meant hard. Her back arched and she called out Draco's name, gripping the sheets beneath her, the orgasm prolonging as she felt his seed spill into her.

Draco collapsed onto Hermione and after catching his breath kissed her. This was something he planned on doing every single day.

_AN: So again sorry for the long wait but I hope it was worth it, you guys know the way to tell me what you think, so push the button._


	12. Chapter 12

_AN: So it's been a while, work has been mega busy, which is great because it means I'll still have a job next month but not so good for the writing part of my life. However I have been very cheeky, done very little work the last two days and put together this little chapter for you, hope you enjoy and review to let me know what you think._

_Thanks to Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over for me. She has 2 great HP stories happening right now along with a lot of great twilight fics so get over to her profile._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this and own nothing in the Harry Potter Universe._

**Christmas Day**

A loud ringing sound woke Hermione from a sweet dream. She was disorientated and contemplated just ignoring it and curling back into Draco's side but the ringing continued and groaning she extricated herself from her boyfriends' embrace and left her bedroom to find out what was going on.

She picked up her wand from the side table and slowly walked down the stairs wiping the sleep from her eyes and made it to the front door. She checked the peephole and saw jet-black hair and glasses.

She pulled the door open and pointed her wand straight at Harry, "What is the name of my godmother?" she asked, using their secret question to make sure it was Harry and not a death eater in disguise.

Harry smiled and answered, "You don't have a godmother; your parents argued so much between whose sister to use that you only have a godfather"

Hermione lowered her wand, "what can I do for you Harry?" she didn't let him past the doorstep.

"Come on 'Mione, it's freezing out here, at least let me in" Harry replied, his teeth chattering to emphasize his point.

Hermione crossed her arms and stepped aside to let Harry in before shutting and warding the door.

She led him down the hallway and into the kitchen and put the kettle on. "What are you doing here Harry?" she asked while pouring hot water into coffee mugs.

"It's Christmas Hermione, I wasn't going to leave you alone no matter what's been happening at Hogwarts", Harry replied.

"She isn't alone Potter" came through the kitchen door, they both turned to see Draco in the doorway in his pyjama bottoms and his hair all tousled, obviously the sound of the conversation had awoken him.

"Oh Merlin 'Mione, you brought him home with you?" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes Harry, my boyfriend has come to spend the Christmas holidays with me, he didn't decide to abandon me like my so called friends" Hermione gave said friend a scathing look before sweeping past both men and back upstairs.

Harry went to follow her, but Draco stood in the doorway, towering over Harry. "I suggest you leave Potter" he spat.

"I just want to talk to her Malfoy, get out of the way" Harry replied, but kept his distance, he didn't want to end up in a fight when he was trying to apologise to Hermione.

Draco heard Hermione call from upstairs and left Harry in the middle of the kitchen and went straight up to her.

"He says he just wants to talk to you, I would be happy to physically throw him out if you like" Draco told her as soon as he was upstairs.

Hermione shook her head and went back down the stairs and into the kitchen. She sat at the table with her coffee and indicated with her eyebrows that Harry should say whatever he was going to say.

Harry sat and took a deep breath before starting, "Hermione, I didn't abandon you, I was just in shock. I wanted to write, but I had to chase after Ron and stop him from apparating straight to Hogwarts when we read the letter." Harry drank some of the scolding coffee before he continued. "Once I had calmed him down and made him go back into the house I sat down to write to you but I didn't know what to say, so Molly said she would write and I gave her my owl"

"Why him 'Mione? Of all the guys you could have dated, why Malfoy?" he asked.

"It's not like I planned it Harry" Hermione snapped. She closed her eyes and calmed herself down before speaking again "he's really different, don't give me that look he is, and he said it best, now that he doesn't have to live up to his father's expectations he can be himself, and Harry he is nice, really nice"

Harry scoffed but shut his mouth when he looked at Hermione and saw that she was serious.

"Is he good to you 'Mione?"

"Harry, he's wonderful to me. A little possessive but I don't actually mind it as long as he doesn't go too far with it" Hermione replied.

Draco was listening from the top of the stairs and almost laughed out loud when she said that, that was one he would try to remember when she was berating him for kicking Longbottom's arse.

Back down in the kitchen Harry asked what Hermione meant by possessive and she told him about Neville after making him promise to keep it quiet.

"Wow, I always thought he was into Luna" Harry said after Hermione finished.

"So did I, I don't really know how to handle this when I go back to school, I have to share living quarters with him!" Hermione began to worry her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Maybe it's just a crush, you know because you're living in such close quarters" Harry suggested.

"I really hope so Harry, I really hope so" Hermione replied.

"Do you want to stay for lunch, I'm not the best cook as you know but Draco and I are going to attempt a proper Christmas meal" Hermione offered.

"I wish I could but Ginny will kill me if I don't get back to the Burrow soon, now that she's back at school she says we have to spend every minute we can together" Harry said with a small smile, he didn't seem to be too unhappy about his girlfriends clinginess.

"Okay Harry. It was good to see you" Hermione said, giving him a long hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh before I go…" Harry pulled a small bag out of his pocket and enlarged it with his wand before handing it to Hermione, "some Christmas presents from the Burrow, Molly has been knitting up a storm, I think there's even one for the ferret" Harry joked but stopped when Hermione gave him a look.

"Well thank everyone for me" Hermione said before pulling out her wand and silently casting 'Accio' on the presents she had bought for her friends from under the Christmas tree, just in case they contacted her.

After another hug Harry left and Hermione went back upstairs to find Draco.

….

After another hour back in bed, having a cuddle and getting a little more sleep the couple got up and went downstairs to open their presents.

Hermione handed Draco two gifts first and insisted he opened them. The first was a book, causing Draco to laugh at his "little bookworm" but on closer inspection he understood her thinking. It was a book on muggle objects and how they worked, something towards helping him pass muggle studies.

Tearing the wrapping paper off the second package, Draco found that he was holding a jewellery box. He opened it and found a simple platinum chain.

"If you don't like it I understand, I'm sure you have much nicer things at home, it just called to me" Hermione said quickly.

"It's perfect sweetheart, I won't take it off" Draco said, slipping the chain on.

He then handed Hermione her gift, the package seemed large and soft, and Hermione was certain she knew what he had done. Sure enough when she pulled the silver wrapping paper from her gift she found the pale blue dress robes she had pointed to on their first date.

She gave Draco a sweet kiss and thanked him, adding in that it was far too much and he shouldn't have.

"Try them on, I want to see how beautiful you look" Draco told her and sent her straight up to the bedroom and waited at the foot of the stairs for the gasp he was sure would come.

"Oh My Word!" came from upstairs a moment later. Draco smirked and quickly moved back to the living room so that Hermione wouldn't know he had been waiting.

A moment later she came into the room holding out a small box, "Draco this is too much, I can't accept this"

"Yes you can, because it is very important that you do" Draco said taking the box and pulling the small sapphire ring from inside.

"I want you to wear it like a promise ring, it is my promise that I will never be the boy you knew throughout school and I will continue to make myself a better man. It's your birth stone"

Hermione was battling back tears, it was the single most beautiful present she had ever been given and the meaning behind it warmed her heart. She allowed Draco to slip the slim sapphire ring on her middle finger and then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him sensually. All other presents were forgotten as they made love in the middle of the living room.

….

That afternoon after a lunch of turkey, roasted potatoes, four different kinds of veg and Yorkshire pudding, something Draco had never had as the wizarding world hadn't discovered them yet, they sat in front of the television and watched the queen's speech, something else Draco had never done before as the Manor certainly would never possessive something so muggle orientated as a television.

"I don't understand why people sit around watching her on a day they are supposed to be celebrating, I mean she doesn't even do anything, it's not like the royals run the country" Draco commented.

"How do you know that? It's not like our world keeps up with muggle politics and muggle royalty" Hermione asked, amused.

Draco shrugged his shoulders, "Muggle Studies"

"But Draco you failed Muggle Studies, otherwise the Wizengamot wouldn't have made you take it again as part of your sentence" Hermione replied.

"I failed deliberately; do you think my father would have been proud of an 'outstanding' in Muggle Studies?" Draco wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side, "please can we turn this drivel off, it's obvious that she didn't even write it, you can see her eyes moving as she's reading it"

Hermione handed him the remote, not hiding her amusement at his confusion, "Go right ahead"

Draco, who after much practice, still couldn't quite work the remote to turn the TV over and always ended up turning the volume up instead, looked at the gadget for a few moments before pulling out his wand and switching the TV off altogether.

"I have a better idea" he said, pulling Hermione to lie back on the couch and lying on top of her.

Hermione giggled, most uncharacteristically, "Again?"

Draco smirked, "Again…and again…and again" punctuating each again with a kiss; he pulled her leg up over his hip and began to rub himself against her core.

He planted kisses all over her face, jaw line and down her neck, suckling on the spot he had discovered made her moan each time he did it, and making her moan was something Draco had come to enjoy very much. He continued to suckle on the spot as he undid her shirt and pushed it from her shoulders and then preceded lower to suckle her breasts through her bra.

Hermione couldn't contain her moans from the sensations he was causing, her back arching as he pulled the cups of the bra down and began to lavish her breasts with attention from his talented tongue.

Draco moved his attention lower, dipping his tongue into her bellybutton and gently biting the soft skin of her abdomen before descending to her core and pulling her skirt up to pay attention to the apex between her inner thighs.

He pulled her panties aside and dove straight into her wet lips with his tongue, drinking her in and flicking his tongue against the nub to the sweet sound of her panting and saying his name.

He slipped two fingers into her and pumped them in time with the movement of his tongue, causing her to cry out as she fell over the edge. He removed his fingers and continued to suckle on her juices until she came down from her high.

Watching her orgasm was the single sexiest thing Draco ever saw and could not hold back any longer, using his wand to remove his clothes and hers, casting the contraception charm and sheathed himself inside her.

She was so tight, hot and wet that Draco struggled not to cum instantly. He began to thrust quickly, lifting himself upwards to hit the right spot in her, causing Hermione to clench with each thrust.

Hermione began to move her hips in time with his movements, allowing more of his length to enter her with each thrust, eventually using her thighs to roll them off the couch and onto the living room carpet where she could move at her own pace, holding Draco's arms above him.

She thrust her hips down on him, harder and faster as she grew close to falling again. Draco was struggling to hold back, desperate to keep going, enjoying watching Hermione as she bounced up and down on him.

Hermione's grip on Draco's hand began to tighten as she reached her peak, bending to thrust her tongue into his mouth as she came on him, moaning into his mouth as she felt him thrust up and cum inside her.

Hermione collapsed on Draco's chest, feeling him envelope her in his arms as they came down from their joint high.

….

**New Year's Eve**

The couple spent the week between Christmas and New Year frolicking and enjoying each other's company. They spent hours making love, in most of the rooms of the house and went outside for a snowball fight in the back garden.

Hermione made sure to get her homework done; even with Draco doing everything he could to distract her, including literally throwing her on the table and giving her a release on her assignment with his fingers and then making her promise to give in that piece of parchment to Professor Flitwick.

On New Year's Eve an owl began tapping on the kitchen window as she and Draco sat to the Chinese takeaway they had ordered. When Hermione took the letter from the bird and turned it over she saw Kingsley Shacklebolt's official Minister of Magic Seal on the back.

Hermione's fingers trembled as she opened the envelope; there was only one reason that she would hear from Kingsley… Her parents.

She pulled out the parchment and began to read, her hands were shaking and tears welled in her eyes as she took in the information.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Draco asked getting up from his seat and coming around to put his arm around Hermione's shoulder. Hermione handed him the letter and used her napkin to wipe her eyes.

_Dearest Hermione_

_How are you? I wished I could have gotten in touch with you sooner but I only found out this information today, I know how desperate you are for news of your parents._

_They have been found, running a dental practice in Sydney. We have sent two aurors to watch over them until you can get there and organise their return if that is your wish, just let me know what you would like to do._

_Make sure that only I open the envelope from you. You know how. _

_Best Wishes_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt_

_Minister for Magic_

"Darling this is wonderful" Draco said after reading the letter. He pulled Hermione from her chair and into his lap and cradled her in his arms.

Hermione nodded and quietly sobbed in his arms, so relieved to finally know that so far her plan had worked and they were safe.

"We could go before school starts again" Draco said, "we could write to McGonagall, tell her we will apparate and not to expect us on the train, we could leave tomorrow"

"You would come with me?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, I told you that I would do anything I could" Draco assured her.

"Write to Kingsley, tell him that we need a portkey and that we will send him word of their decision as soon as possible" Draco prompted Hermione.

She was speechless with relief, and so pleased that Draco was taking control, because in all honesty after all the fighting during the war, all the planning, all the fear, now she was tired.

_AN: I really hope you enjoyed it, I'm going to put a pic of the Promise Ring on my profile page, I think it's pretty. Looking forward to the reviews..._


	13. Chapter 13

_AN: So here we are again, I've done my best to get this out as quickly as possible so I hope it's up to standard. I've never been to Australia so if anything sounds off I'm really sorry. I hope you enjoy it and send me lots of reviews to keep me going._

_Mega thanks to Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over for me. Go check out her stories._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this and own nothing from the Harry Potter Universe._

After writing back to Kingsley, placing the spell on the envelope so that only he could open it, Hermione tried to continue to enjoy New Years Eve.

Unfortunately her nerves were creeping up on her the entire night. She was worried about the long journey but Portkey, as she hated that form of travel almost as much as she hated flying.

She was worried that when she got to Australia that she would not be able to properly remove her Obliviation charm from her parents and would cause them some sort of permanent damage.

Then she began to worry about their reaction if she did manage it properly. By the end of the night Hermione was visibly shaking and Draco was at a loss as to what he should do for her.

Eventually the countdown to midnight began and Draco pulled Hermione into his lap and held her close, placing the sweetest kiss he could manage on her lips at the stroke of midnight.

"Happy New Year Sweetheart" he whispered in her air, and stood from the couch to carry her upstairs and to bed. They lay there and he held her until she finally fell asleep in his arms, and spent the rest of the night just watching her.

….

Early the next morning Draco and Hermione stood under the protection of the back porch, ready to apparate to the ministry where they were to pick up their Portkey after meeting quickly with Kingsley.

Hermione's hands shook as she locked the back door and Draco took them tightly in his own, "It's going to be fine sweetheart, I promise" he said even though he didn't know how he was going to make everything fine if the situation turned out unfavourably.

Holding her hand tight, Draco turned on the spot and apparated them to the public entrance of the Ministry of Magic. As it was New Years Day, the area was empty and they quickly got into the red telephone booth and lifted the receiver to gain entrance before some unsuspecting muggle turned the corner and saw them.

After making the decent down into the Ministry and presented their wands to the security guard, Hermione felt a little sad that he had to work even on New Years Day, but they were still rebuilding their world and the occasional attack from closet Voldermort supporters was heard of.

They passed the security desk and entered one of the magical lifts. As soon as they were in the doors jerked shirt and they jolted backwards as it began to move. After a quick and rickety ride they exited as the lift announced that they were on "Level One, office of the Minister of Magic and administrative staff"

Kingsley stepped out of his office just as they were about to knock on the door and welcomed Hermione with a large hug. "It is so good to see you Hermione" he said in his deep booming voice.

"It's good to see you too Minister" Hermione replied, stepping out of the friendly embrace.

"Come now Hermione, none of that Minister business, at least as there is no one around, we have known each other long enough" the minister replied.

"I have set up your Portkey, you will be leaving from my office in ten minutes. I understand that Mr. Malfoy will be joining you" the minister gave Draco a look, not quite a sneer but quite clearly saying I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you.

"Yes, he will be. He is the only one that knows that you have found my parents and has agreed to accompany on the trip" Hermione said, taking Draco's hand and making it clear that the point was not to be argued.

"As you wish, follow me" Kingsley was clearly unhappy but had did not say anything further.

They walked into Kingsley's large circular office, on one wall over a fireplace was a large moving portrait of Kingsley and what looked like his family although Hermione had never known if Kingsley was married or had any children.

On the opposite wall a large bookcase full of tomes that under any other circumstances Hermione would be desperate to get her hands on. Kingsley's large mahogany desk was in front of a window that showed the image of London even though they were underground.

On his desk was an open book, which Kingsley told them was their Portkey to the Australian Ministry.

"You will be met there by the Australian minister, once he realised who was coming he didn't even ask for an explanation as to why or argue about the required secrecy, and I would suggest that the less people know the better, there are still people out there that wish to harm you Hermione"

"I won't tell anyone" Hermione assured him.

"Good, now once you know whether your parents will be coming back with you or not let me know in the same way as usual, they are muggles so I won't be able to arrange a Portkey for them, but I will be able to provide protection for them as they use muggle transportation" Kingsley informed her.

"I really appreciate everything you are doing for me and my family Kingsley, I can't tell you how much" Hermione's eyes began to well up with tears and Draco took her hand to offer some comfort, a move that Kingsley noticed and looked as though he wanted to stop.

"Okay well you have about a minute, might as well get situated and hold on tight, it's a long journey" Kingsley said and sat down in his chair behind his desk.

Hermione took a deep breath just as the book took on a blue hue and felt the tug behind her bellybutton that normally came with most types of magical travel before her feet left the ground and they began spinning.

Thirty minutes later, although it felt like a lifetime, they landed in the Australian Ministry. After getting her balance and giving herself a minute to stop feeling dizzy and sick Hermione took a look around.

The Australian Ministry was very similar to the British Ministry, with its high ceilings and statues of witches and wizards, the main difference being that the Australian Ministry was not underground.

"Oh, Miss Granger…. How wonderful to have you visiting us" came from behind Hermione, she and Draco span to see a tall wizard with blonde hair and a long dragon-tooth necklace swinging from his neck.

Hermione held out her hand to have her whole arm shaken by the wizard who was greeting her with enthusiasm to rival Hagrid.

"I am the Australian Minister for Magic, my counter-part in your country asked me to greet you personally so here I am" said the Minister who went on to introduce himself as Terry Dundee.

Hermione had a hard time not laughing when he introduced himself, "Yes yes I know there is some sort of stupid muggle movie about a crocodile hunter with the same name, believe me there is no connection" the minister answered the grin on her face and turned to shake Draco's hand.

"Please forgive me Minister, I didn't mean to laugh" Hermione answered, blushing. "This is my boyfriend Draco Malfoy" Hermione introduced Draco.

"Malfoy? I know that name. Met your father once when he was here on business…hold on a second, wasn't he a death eater?" the minister asked.

Before Draco could get annoyed Hermione jumped in and answered, "Yes but we wouldn't want to accuse by association now would we?"

"No, of course not, sorry dear boy" the minister said, clapping Draco on the back.

"Now, I have a place for you to stay in the area of Sydney that Minister Shacklebolt suggested that you are interested in, my aid Jonny will take you there if you are ready"

"Thank you minister Dundee, we are more than ready, that wasn't the nicest journey by Portkey I've ever made, going to our apartment would be lovely" Hermione plastered her most charming smile on her face and Jonny who had been standing behind the minister the entire way began to lead them to the exit.

After a twenty-minute ride in one of the Ministry Limo's, thankfully air-conditioned as Australia was right in the middle of it's summer, they pulled up in front of a tall apartment block, twenty stories high and buzzing with magic.

"It's an all magic apartment building, there are spells on it to put muggles off coming near it and they never look at any apartments at all, so you can practice all the magic you want in there without worrying" Jonny told them before getting out to let his passengers out.

Draco took Hermione's hand and they followed Jonny into the apartment block and into a lift that took them to the top floor of the apartment block and upon exiting the lift Hermione realised they had walked directly into the penthouse suite.

"Jonny, there must be some mistake, this can't be for us" Hermione gasped as she looked around the beautifully decorated apartment. It was open plan, all white with splashes of colour in the furniture. The French doors opened out onto a balcony, which Hermione could never go out on with her fear of heights.

"Of course it's for you Miss Granger, nothing but the best for one of the golden trio" Jonny exclaimed.

Hermione felt like a knife had pierced her belly and had to physically force herself not to put her hand there to stop the gaping hole she felt at the mention of her press-given nickname, after all the Golden Trio had all but disbanded.

"Really this isn't necessary" Hermione replied as politely as she could but Jonny was already moving to give them a tour of the rest of the living space.

"Obviously the lift opens into the living room, just through that archway is the kitchen, completely stocked with muggle and wizarding appliances. The fridge and pantry are fully stocked and will restock on its own so no need for you to spend time shopping" Jonny began walking towards the winding staircase.

"Up here is the master bedroom, guest bedroom and each room has an en-suite bathroom. If you need anything just send an owl down to the front desk and they can provide for you"

"I don't know what to say, this place is incredible" Hermione said, looking around the cream master bedroom. It boasted the biggest bed she had ever seen, with dark mahogany bedposts that had cream curtains hanging from them.

Draco came from behind her and put his arm around her waist, placing a sensual kiss on her shoulder when Jonny wasn't looking. "Why don't we get rid of Jonny and make love on every surface of this place" he whispered in her ear.

His breath against her skin while he whispered sent a shiver straight up Hermione's spine and she felt juice gush between her legs.

She nodded and Draco quickly shook Jonny's hand and assured him that they would speak to the front desk before politely but briskly shuffling back into the lift and warding it shut as soon as it began its decent.

Draco picked Hermione up and apparated them upstairs, as it meant he didn't have to waste time walking up the stairs. He threw her on the bed and whipped out his wand, vanishing their clothes and casting a contraception charm before crawling on top of her and thrusting straight into her waiting entrance.

Draco built his speed quickly, hitting Hermione just at the right angle to make her moan his name, louder with every thrust until she fell apart underneath him and milked him for all he was worth.

With all the travelling and the time difference the pair were exhausted and after untangling themselves from the mess they made of the sheets they curled around each other and went to sleep.

…..

After a good night's sleep they woke up on Australian time and ready for the task at hand. Hermione was nervous but determined and after a light breakfast and a shower each the couple set off to find Hermione's parents.

At the reception desk of the building, with a little creative lying on Hermione's part they got a map to the nearest dentist surgery. Hermione hoped it would be her parent's one, and going on the information from Kingsley she was sure it would be, why else would they have been sent to that part of Sydney.

They followed the map to a parade of shops ten minutes walk from where they were staying. They found the surgery in the middle of the parade and before Hermione could take a breath she saw her mother through the window, speaking to the surgery's receptionist.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" Draco asked, putting his arm around her and pulling her into his side.

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye and nodded, "I'm fine, it's just that when I left them I didn't know if I would ever see them again; it's just such a relief to know that they are okay"

"I know sweetheart. Come on let's go in and do this", Draco slipped his hand from around her shoulder to take her hand and led her into the surgery.

"G'day, can I help you?" the receptionist asked with a beaming smile, Hermione knew her father's work anyway and had to take a deep breath before answering.

"Yes, could I please speak to either Monika or Wendell please" Hermione asked in her most professional voice, she knew she was going to have to lie her way through this a bit and was determined not to turn to magic if she didn't have to.

"Do you have an appointment miss?" the receptionist enquired, pulling her appointment book out from under some files and looking down it waiting to be given a name.

"Oh no we don't but I think they would be very interested to see me" Hermione told the young woman, giving off her own bedazzling smile.

"Listen if you're here to sell anything we are not interested" the receptionist said putting the book back in its place.

"Oh I'm not selling honestly, I just need to speak to them" Hermione assured her but it was obvious that this receptionist was well-trained and not going to budge.

"Oh for Circe sake…_Confundo_" Draco cast pointing his wand at the woman, then used it to shut all the blinds and lock the door.

"Draco! What on earth do you think you are doing, we can't afford to have the Australian Ministry coming here to find out why we are using magic on muggles!" Hermione screeched.

"What is with all the secrecy Hermione? What has got you and Kingsley so spooked that he wouldn't even tell the Australian minister why we're here?" Draco finally asked, it had been bugging him since New Years Eve when they first got the letter saying that Hermione's parents had been found.

"Because there is still a threat against me and by association my parents" Hermione shouted, losing her temper with his stupidity, "the death eater trials may well be over but there are still Voldermort sympathisers out there and if they saw the chance to hurt me they would take it!"

Draco was suitably chastised and stayed silent for a moment, carefully deciding how to phrase his next question, "So why are you here telling them the truth? Surely they are safer as they are"

"I'm going to give them the choice, it's a luxury I couldn't afford before" Hermione quietly replied, "come on, let's get into the back before she realises what's going on and hope to Merlin that my parents don't have any muggle patients back there"

They quickly went through the door next to the reception desk and walked straight into Hermione's father.

"What is going on here?" he asked after taking in the situation in his waiting room.

"da….. Mr. Wilkins, I'm sorry to disturb your surgery hours like this but I really need to speak to you and your wife urgently" Hermione said, praying to any deity that they would listen that he didn't catch her slip before she could remove the memory charm.

"What do you want with us?" he asked, turning as Hermione's mum walked out of the door to her left.

"Sweetheart I think you had better just reverse the charm before this gets any worse" Draco whispered quickly.

Hermione nodded and pulled out her wand. Her parents flinched but she just ignored it and began to mutter the reversal to the Obliviation charm.

Hermione's parents became very still, their eyes didn't move for a few moments and Hermione began to really panic that she had done something wrong.

Hermione's father spoke first, "Hermione?" he looked around and then at Draco, then back at Hermione.

"Dad, are you okay?" She asked. He nodded, as did Hermione's mum.

"Are they supposed to be disorientated like this?" Draco asked quietly.

"Well they should still know everything about their lives since I left them, but now all the memories I took away will be rejoining their minds, so I guess so" Hermione replied quietly.

Finally after a few moments Hermione's parents became more coherent and her mother finally spoke, "Hermione Jean Granger, you have a lot of explaining to do!"

_AN: Uh Oh. Do you think they will get very mad at her after she explains? Well I don't even know yet, so review and get me inspired and then we can find out :)_


	14. Chapter 14

_AN: Here's chapter 14, I hope you guys like it more than the last chapter, because the amount of reviews suggests that you guys really didn't like it much, not a review whore but reviews are the best way to tell and author that you like what they've written. _

_Thank to Astarte_Lydianna for taking time away from her own stories to look over mine._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I do not own anything in the Harry Potter Universe or make any money from this story._

Hermione's parents closed the surgery for the rest of the day and took Draco and Hermione back to their rented flat on the other side of town. The ride was silent and the tension could be cut with a knife.

When they reached their destination her parents led them straight into the living room. Hermione's mother bustled off to the kitchen to get drinks, the hot Australian sun had made the all thirsty.

When her mother had returned Hermione and Draco accepted their juices without argument and waited for the tirade of words to begin. Hermione's mother and father sat opposite the young couple and the silence continued, only broken by Mr. Granger tapping his foot against the wooden floor as he impatiently waited for Hermione to explain herself.

Hermione drank deeply from her glass, putting off the inevitable and trying to get her thoughts in order, she took a breath and began.

"Mum, Dad. As you know we were at war with Voldermort's forces. Harry, Ron and I had an important task to complete for Dumbledore, a task that would weaken Voldermort and aid Harry to end the war once and for all"

Hermione felt Draco give her hand a squeeze to show her some support, he knew how hard it was to talk about the war himself, and Hermione went through much worse as far as he was concerned.

"We had to go into hiding and I knew that the first thing the death eaters would do would be to kidnap my parents to force me out of hiding. I did it to protect you" she ended in a whisper.

"You had no right Hermione. You had no right to take our memories away, how dare you!" Mr. Granger bellowed, losing his temper.

"Jonathan calm down" Mrs. Granger told him but he ignored her and began to pace.

"Ever since she got the letter and went to that bloody school she's been pulling away from us and now she's making decisions for us, I've had enough!" he continued.

Draco could feel Hermione folding in on herself, her shoulders slumped and the juice in her glass began to slosh around as her hand shook.

Immediately Draco stood and pointed his wand at her father, "Mr. Granger, I suggest you calm down before I am forced to calm you down"

"Draco don't, the conditions of your parole, you mustn't" Hermione cried.

"Parole? Oh wonderful now she brings a convicted felon into our lives" her father said throwing his arm in the air.

Hermione got up and gently pulled Draco's arm down, "Draco please we're don't have a lot of time to get this all sorted" she whispered.

Hermione subtly raised her own wand, "Impedimenta" she whispered and her father stopped in his tracks.

"Hermione Jean Granger! Undo whatever it is you just did to your father at once!" Mrs Granger shrieked and Hermione flopped back on the couch and finally gave into her tears.

"I've had enough of this, Mrs. Granger shut up. You have no idea, none whatsoever what would have happened to you if you had been found by the death eaters. If and I do mean if you had survived you would be living with the memories of the worst kind of torture, almost certain rape and you would have watched as Hermione was viciously tortured, just like I had to" Draco whipped out his wand again and undid Hermione's hex on her father. "Now we came here to bring you home although from what I have seen so far you don't deserve anything from this wonderful girl who went to hell and back to keep you safe" Draco pulled Hermione from the couch and began to walk towards the door.

"She was tortured?" Mrs Granger finally found her voice. "Why did you watch her get tortured?"

"Because I was a death eater" Draco said and pulled Hermione out of the front door.

….

The next day Hermione sent an owl to her parents house, informing them that if they wanted to go back to England they needed to her let her know that day, if not then she would organise some protection for them and be leaving with Draco the following day.

She just couldn't fight anymore, and after all she had been through her parents reactions had just been too much.

"Sweetheart, what are we supposed to do if they decide not to come back with us? It isn't safe here anymore" Draco asked after she sent the owl.

"I Obliviate them again and move them to another country, and I never see them again" Hermione answered robotically, she was hoping against hope that they would at least agree to come back to England and then she could deal with the issues over time.

"Hermione I'm so sorry" Draco said, embracing her and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"At least this time they have a choice" Hermione replied and snuggled into his embrace.

They spent most of the day in the penthouse, Hermione reading and Draco finishing his Christmas Charms assignment after Hermione found out he hadn't done it and reprimanded him for a full twenty minutes, although Draco was sure she was just venting her stress.

Around four that afternoon the bell rang that told them the lift would be coming up to the penthouse. Hermione and Draco stood together with their wands drawn; they weren't expecting anyone so it was best to be prepared.

The doors opened and Hermione's parents stepped out, Draco dropped his wand arm but Hermione kept hers steady, "What was Grandma Patty's maiden name?" she asked, she had to be sure it was them.

"Who the hell is Grandma Patty?" her father asked and Hermione lowered her wand.

"Nobody, it was a security question, death eaters would have either panicked and attacked or read the name from my mind if they were able to use Occlumency" Hermione informed them.

"Occlu…what?" Her mother asked.

"Never mind mother, I assume you are here with your answer" she kept her voice cool and calm. She wasn't going to allow her emotions to complicate the situation.

"Hermione please, we didn't mean to react so unfavourably, it was just a shock, one minute we were working on a teenage boys braces and the next we had a daughter and twenty years worth of memories, it was disconcerting to say the least" her mother said.

"Yes I can believe that, but you didn't even give me a chance, I watched my friends die right in front of my eyes, I was tortured to within an inch of my sanity, I went for days without food and spent almost a year in a tent with one of the moodiest boys you have ever met in your entire life, I don't need criticism from you" Hermione ended her sentence almost shouting.

Hermione's mother quickly moved over to her and pulled her into her embrace, "My poor baby girl, what did they do to you?"

Hermione's father pulled Draco aside, "Now listen to me young man, your little wand doesn't frighten me, I don't know why you are here with my daughter or how you got her to allow you to be here, but I know what a death eater is, you stay away"

"No dad wait, he isn't a death eater anymore" Hermione said.

"Honey people like him don't change" her father said.

"Mr. Granger if I hadn't changed I can assure you would not still be standing in such an aggressive position, now back off" he said raising his wand.

"Draco lower your wand, we just need to explain it to them" Hermione begged.

Draco went over to the couch and sat down, followed by Hermione and her mother who was very unwilling to let Hermione go.

"Fine, I'll explain my part and you can explain what you, Weasel and scarhead did" Draco huffed.

"Oh Draco don't start throwing a tantrum, it's the last thing I needed" Hermione was exasperated by both Draco and her father,

Draco sneered and began, "In our sixth year at school, the Dark Lord gave me the task of killing Professor Dumbledore in exchange for my Mother's life. My father was in prison and out family had fallen greatly out of favour as my father had failed in his task of acquiring a prophecy much in thanks to your daughter"

Hermione's my mother held onto Hermione a little tighter and Draco continued, "I didn't want to take the Dark Mark, I didn't want anything to do with the legacy my father had left me when he went to Azkaban the first time, but my mother was all I had left, I kneeled I took the mark and I accepted my task. But when the time came I couldn't kill him, I couldn't be a death eater" Draco finished.

"You see, Draco had no choice, just like I had no choice but to do what I did to protect you and I would do it again" Hermione told them.

"Look we can explain everything once we are back home if you're coming, are you?" Hermione asked, looking to both her parents with hope that they would say yes.

"Yes we are, now that we have you back we won't accept losing you again" her mother said.

"Oh thank Merlin, I don't think I could've done it again" Hermione mumbled. "I will have to floo Kingsley, a letter won't make it in time, and then we will have to go to the travel agents to book our flight"

"Flight? Can't we Portkey?" Draco asked alarmed, he had never been on a muggle aeroplane and did not like the look of it one bit.

"My parents can't Portkey that far Draco, it exhausted us and we are used to travelling magically, besides we don't know who is watching out network of travel, I don't want to risk it" Hermione replied.

Draco went paler than usual if it was at all possible and Hermione struggled to stifle a giggle, "come now Draco, you're willing to fly around on broomsticks all day but you won't get on a perfectly safe and might I add enclosed flying machine"

"Fine, I fly on one of your muggle contraptions, but on one condition" he said with his best Malfoy smirk.

"What?" she asked.

"You have to agree to me teaching you how to fly a broomstick" he replied.

"I know how to fly a broomstick" Hermione argues back.

"Oh no sweetheart, I'm not talking about riding behind the boy wonder or gripping on for dear life and hoping you're not going down because your eyes are shut, I'm talking about flying as well as a professional Quidditch player" Draco said triumphantly.

"Fine, deal" Hermione agreed against her better judgement, it wasn't like she didn't want to learn, Hermione Granger always wanted to learn, but her fear of heights always made it so difficult.

The rest of the day was spent organising their trip home, packing up the Granger's house, which thankfully was made much quicker with the use of magic, and getting ready to go home.

….

At seven the next morning, the Grangers and Draco were sitting in a café in Sydney airport, ready to depart for the twenty-three hour journey home. Draco was dreading the journey, the thought of taking off in the piece of metal sitting on the tarmac was making him feel physically sick, then add the thought that they would have to stop on the way and do it again made it worse.

But he had promised Hermione he would do whatever he could to help her with her parents and had got her to agree to get up on a broomstick, something that he was desperate to do so he decided to suck it up and get it over with.

He had also insisted that Hermione allow him to pay for the plane tickets and had booked first class seats, not telling Hermione until they were at the airport and directed to the first class lounge.

"We might as well be a little comfortable on this awful journey" he had said when she began to protest that it was too much.

When their flight was called Hermione took his hand and led him to the tunnel that would take them to the plane. They got on and found their seats and Draco made sure his seat belt was secured before the others had even got into their seats.

"Oh Draco you do make me laugh, we haven't even taken off yet!" Hermione said, bending to peck him on the lips, pulling back when her father cleared his throat. He still wasn't happy that she was dating Draco.

Draco gripped the hand rests so hard he thought he might break them as the plane took off and once in the air he decided to just go to sleep and hope that a large amount of time would go by before he woke up again.

Hermione spent the time explaining the war to her parents, she allowed her emotions to show through finally as she talked about Remus and Tonks, Fred and the things she, Harry and Ron had to go through, including the torture.

Hermione slipped off her jacket and showed the scar on her arm as her mother cried. "Now do you understand why I did what I did, I could never live with myself if I allowed this to happen to you"

"One thing I don't understand Hermione, why are you with him? I mean I remember when you would come home in the holidays and tell us how he bullied you, and to have gone through what you went through in his house….I just don't understand it" her father told her.

"Dad I never expected to like him, you have no idea how different he is now, over the last couple of days you have only seen him angry but that is because he is so protective over me, even against you if he has to be, I don't know where it will lead if anywhere but right now I am just taking the opportunity to enjoy him" Hermione answered.

They went on to chat a little about what Hermione's parents had gone through throughout their year in Australia and eventually the plane touched down in Asia, where they caught their connecting flight to London, poor Draco having to handle taking off again and then eat the terrible food that the attendants brought them.

When they finally landed at Heathrow and collected their bags Draco insisted on apparating back to her parents' house, he had had enough of muggle transport without dealing with the underground and overground services back to the Granger home.

They found a little corner hidden by a pillar and a large plant and Draco shrunk their luggage and put in his pocket, which was amazing to watch for Hermione's parents, she had always tried not to do too much magic in front of them as they always insisted it was better to do things the muggle way.

"Hermione if you take your mother I will take your father" Hermione agreed and once they got outside and away from the crowds of holiday makers, apparated back to the Grangers house.

Once home Hermione made sure her parents were settled before having to say her goodbyes. They had to go back to Hogwarts…..

_AN: So I hope you enjoyed, reviews always help the writing process so hit the little shiny button..._


	15. Chapter 15

_AN: It took a little time but with next week being my last work week of the year you can imagine I've been busy along with getting out my Ron/Luna oneshot for all the Can We Make It fans out there. I hope you guys like this and send me reviews, I do love to get them. Not beta'd yet as Astarte_Lydianna is struggling with the horrible vomiting side affect of pregnancy so I think we can cut her some sack at the moment. She's got a Snape/Hermione fic going on and it's getting really interesting so I do suggest checking it out._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing in the Harry Potter universe and make no money from this._

They apparated back to Hogsmede from under the protective cover of the back porch after Hermione re-enforced the wards and gave her parents her DA Galleon.

Once they got to Hogsmede they began to walk up the snow-covered hill towards Hogwarts.

Hermione was silent and Draco noticed her wiping stray tears from her face as they made their way back, the tension could be cut with a knife.

Draco decided that they had to have some conversation before they were accosted by everyone else, and he knew asking how she was would be insensitive so he decided to stick with a safer subject.

"What did you give your mother just before we left?" he asked.

"My DA Galleon" Hermione answered quickly.

"Would you care to elaborate" Draco prompted.

Hermione almost laughed at herself, she had literally forgotten for a moment that she was talking to Draco Malfoy and he would not know much about Dumbledore's Army or anything else she had done with Harry and Ron over the past seven years.

"It was the way that I used to contact all the members of Dumbledore's Army when Umbridge banned all after school activities" Hermione explained. "I would spell it to give each member the time and date of our next meeting"

"I assume you came up with that little piece of magic my clever little witch" Draco smirked at her, easing his arm around her tense shoulders.

"But your parents can't do magic, so what good is it to them?" Draco asked.

"I've modified the spell, either one of them only needs to rub it and the one I carry around with me will let me know that something is wrong and that they need me" Hermione clarified.

"Hermione, I'm sure they will be fine. Everyone I knew to be death eaters either died in the final battle or is in Azkaban" Draco reassured her, tightening his grip just slightly.

"I know. But I feel better knowing that they have that connection to me" Hermione mumbled.

"I understand. And I have to say, that is a brilliant piece of magic"

Hermione smiled a little at Draco's praise and they stopped at the gate's into Hogwarts to wait for Hagrid to let them in.

"Youn' 'ermione, Professor McGonagall says that you are to go straight to your room along with Malfoy 'ere and to wait for her" Hagrid told Hermione as he took the trunks Draco had enlarged while they were waiting.

"Why, what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, just tellin' ya wha' she said" Hagrid boomed as they walked up to the front doors of the castle.

They left Hagrid in the entrance hall and went straight up to the head dorms as they were asked.

Not five minutes after they got there the portrait swung open and their headmistress entered.

"Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy, I assume your Christmas holidays went well and your trip was successful?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Hermione thought the question might be rhetorical but nodded anyway.

"Good. Now as for the reason I have asked you to meet me here. During the Christmas break Mr Longbottom asked to relinquish his head duties"

Hermione interrupted before she could stop herself, "but that's crazy. Professor don't let him please, take it away from me instead"

"Miss Granger do try to calm yourself. After a long conversation with Neville I believe I have come up with a solution to the problem"

Hermione waited, feeling even tenser, she had really hoped she wouldn't lose Neville but now it was becoming clear that she had no choice.

"He was adamant that he would not be able to stay in these quarters and therefore would need to give up his duties" the Professor continued.

"I made it quite clear that I would not accept his resignation, nor will I accept yours. I have given him new quarters and he has already moved his belongings"

"Professor I'm so sorry for all the hassle this has caused" Hermione began.

The Professor put her hand up to stop Hermione and the young witch instantly closed the mouth.

"I understand that you and Mr Malfoy have a relationship, and I have no problem with it under a few conditions"

Hermione and Draco both nodded for her to continue.

"I am by no means naïve enough to believe that either one of you would listen if I said that Mr Malfoy could not come here, so I am not even going to try, however you are Head Girl Hermione. Keep it discrete. No one is to know otherwise I will hear about it from everyone including the school board and that is unacceptable"

Hermione and Draco nodded their agreement.

"If anyone finds out that he is in here at any point during the school year there will be a serious punishment, Am I understood?"

"Yes professor" the young coupled said at the same time.

"Hermione, walk me to the portrait" the Professor said.

With a quick glance at Draco, Hermione followed the Professor to the portrait.

Professor McGonagall lowered her voice, "Hermione, please be careful. I know it's exciting when you are young and in love but mishaps can and will happen and I would truly hate to have to make you leave the school because of a forgotten spell or potion"

Hermione nodded for what felt like the hundredth time and after closing the portrait went back to sit with Draco, the first genuine smile in a few days plastered across her face.

"What was that about?" Draco asked, smiling at the look on Hermione's face.

"I think Professor McGonagall might have just reminded me to make sire I use contraceptives" Hermione laughed.

Draco leaned into Hermione's side and whispered "I would be more than happy to put using contraceptives into practise right now" before sucking on her earlobe.

"Draco we've spent the last few days travelling across the world, don't you want to sleep?" Hermione said, batting him away and standing up, heading towards the staircase.

"I slept on the plane, now I want to make love to my beautiful girlfriend" Draco whispered sultrily in her ear as he pushed against the wall and trapped her by holding her hands by her sides.

"Sorry love but I need a few woman days off" she answered an then waited for Draco to understand.

When his face suggested that he got her meaning she spoke again, "but you know if we are very very discreet, you don't have to leave me tonight" she said, leading him upstairs to bed.

…

The next morning Draco woke up to the best feeling in the world as far as he was concerned. A feeling that he had gotten used to during the Christmas holidays.

Hermione as snuggled into his side, her slow steady breathing brushing across his neck as he held her close.

He decided that he would be more than happy to wake up like this every morning for the rest of his life and was almost certain that even after only three months that some day he would marry this witch.

Hermine began to stir and groaned, curling into a ball in pain. Draco immediately began to panic and try to check her over for sign of injury, when she batted his hands away irritated and left the warmth of the bed for the bathroom.

Draco knew after spending the last three months with Hermione that she could be very testy at this time of the month, he stifled a laugh at the thought of the poor student that crossed her today…he just had to make sure it wasn't him!

By the time Hermione emerged from the bathroom, showered and dressed Draco had left and she found a note on her desk along with a vial of her pain potion from her personal stores and a single red rose.

Gone to get read for the day.

Thought it would be more "discreet" to

Come to breakfast from my own common room.

Love you

DM

Hermione wasn't sure if she should think Draco sweet or annoyingly interfering for getting the pain potion from her trunk, so took a moment and decided to go with grateful for the thought and after smelling the rose, left her now private dorms for breakfast.

The first person Hermione saw at the Gryffindor table when she entered the hall was Ginny.

She steeled herself and did her best to tell her temper to bugger off and went and sat next to the red head.

"So still not talking to me?" Hermione asked, deciding to just get it over with and find out where she stood.

Ginny place the piece of toast that was halfway to her mouth back onto her plate and turned properly to face Hermione.

"I guess I was being a bit of a prat, wasn't I?" Ginny said and laughed.

"Yes you were" Hermione agreed and smiled back.

"I'm sorry 'Mione but I was scared. And still angry, and mourning Fred and missing Harry and I guess I took it out on you" Ginny explained, blurting out everything she had been thinking over Christmas.

"Okay, let's just forget the last three months and move on" Hermione suggested, holding out her hand to shake on it.

"Hermione have you gone mad? Give me a hug" Ginny exclaimed.

"I think I spend too much time with boys" she laugh and allowed herself to be pulled into a very typically strong and forceful Weasley hug.

"And by the way…..Merlin's sweaty balls is that ring gorgeous. I assume it's from Malfoy?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah it's a promise ring" Hermione replied, fiddling with the ring.

"Promise? What's the promise?" Ginny enquired.

Hermione hesitated as she felt that the ring and the promise were very personal to her and Draco, but she was so glad that she and Ginny were getting along again that she didn't want to hold back and risk unsettling the delicate balance of their friendship again.

"It as his promise to me that he wouldn't go back to being the horrid guy he used to be" Hermione explained, blushing as she remembered what happened after he gave her the ring on Christmas Day.

"'Mione why are you blushing? Oh My God, did you and Malfoy…you know?"

Hermione nodded unable to hold back her smile.

Ginny squealed, causing Hermione to blush even more.

"And?" Ginny asked.

"Ginny" I'm so not going into details" Hermione protested.

"Oh don't be such a prude 'Mione. Come on is his 'Slytherin Sex God' nickname deserved?"

"Gin, forget it" Hermione put her foot down.

"Come on 'Mione please, I need a girl to talk to as well" Ginny hinted, trying to spark Hermione's interest.

Hermione almost took the bait, her need for some female company peeking through, until she remembered whom Ginny was dating.

"Merlin Gin, I don't want to hear about Harry doing that" He's like my brother"

Both girls laughed and ate the breakfast, as the rest of the student body began to enter the hall to start their day.

_AN: Well what do we think. I think it's great that Ginny has finally come round, and wouldn't it be great to have a teacher like Prof. McGonagall!_


	16. Chapter 16

_AN: So erm please don't kill me... This chapter has been written on paper since before New Year but my laptop decided to die on me so I had to get it fixed then get this written up, so so so sorry that it took so long, believe me its been torture having it and not being able to post. Not beta'd because now it's written I didn't want to make my loyal readers wait any longer._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I don't own anything from the Harry Potter Universe and I make no money from this._

A month went by and slowly things began to get back to normal.

Unfortunately Neville was still avoiding Hermione like she was carrying the black plague, barely even acknowledging her during their monthly meeting with the prefects.

However the rest of her friends seemed to finally be getting used to her being with Draco and were even being supportive when they saw how happy she was everyday.

Although Dean and Seamus had still said that they would hold Draco down as Ginny beat on him if he did anything to hurt her.

Draco spent every night in Hermione's dormitory and took the advantage of her fireplace being connected to the school floo network to get him back to the Slytherin common room in the morning.

The advantage only being told to them after Professor McGonagall caught Draco leaving twice, "after all, if I catch you then what's to stop someone else" she had said.

However Draco couldn't floo to Hermione from the common room and still had to be extremely careful when going in for the night.

"It would be so much easier if we had Harry's invisibility cloak or the Marauder's Map" Hermione grumbled one night when they had had a close call with Professor Slughorn.

"What is the Marauder's Map?" Draco asked as he sat on the couch and pulled Hermione onto his lap.

"Oh yes, I forgot you wouldn't know about it. Harry's father James along with Sirius, Remus and that pathetic little cretin Peter Pettigrew created it so they could sneak around the castle without getting caught. It shows where everyone is in the castle at all times" Hermione explained.

"I see, yes that would be incredibly useful" Draco agreed.

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione and tried to pull her in for a kiss but she resisted. She had been testy all day and Draco was beginning to worry.

Her shoulders felt tense as she began to babble about the map and its magical properties and Draco realised she was hiding something.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Draco asked, interrupting an almost incoherent speech about magical ink.

"Nothing" she mumbled, climbing off his lap.

"Not nothing, tell me" Draco insisted.

Hermione began to pace, wringing her hands, she was pale as a ghost.

"For Circe's sake Hermione will you spit out?" Draco snapped. She was worrying him with her behaviour, and when he was worried he had a short temper.

"Fine" Hermione yelled back. "I'm late" she continued at a quieter tone.

"Late? Late for what?" Draco asked, looking at his watch.

"No, I mean I'm late. My period" Hermione was shaking.

"How late?" Draco asked, his whole body stiffened up.

"A couple of days, but I'm never late"

Draco was silent and Hermione's shoulders dropped as the first tears began to slide down her cheeks. She had been fretting all day about telling Draco and now he was quiet and unmoving.

"Draco, please say something" she begged.

Draco continued to stay silent, only moving to stand up. He seemed to have gone into a complete state of shock and Hermione didn't know what to do.

"I…..I don't know what to say" he whispered.

Hermione's face hardened and she crossed her arms, straightening her back. "I see, well then I suppose that means there is nothing to say. You know where the portrait is" she said before crossing the room and ascending the stairs to her bedroom.

She didn't really know what she had wanted him to say, but she had expected some sort of support, she certainly hadn't expected to feel so alone.

And if she really was pregnant, what was she going to do?

Draco heard the door close and turned towards the portrait to leave, he didn't even look to see if anyone was in the hallway as he left, his mind was so completely consumed.

Without even realising it he made it to back to the dungeons and into the common room, walking straight across and down to the boys dormitory, he didn't even hear Blaise calling his name.

He sat on his bed and put his head in his hands. He knew he could have and should have handled that conversation better, but he had been completely blind-sighted and his mouth and brain hadn't seemed to be able to engage.

He knew that no matter what he wanted to be with Hermione and a baby, although far too soon, would be something he would love more than anything in the world.

Now all her had to do was tell her. But he knew it couldn't be tonight, she would never let him back into her rooms when she was so angry, and she thoroughly deserved to be angry. He would wait until breakfast and give her the night to calm down.

Blaise entered the dorm room and sat on the bed opposite Draco, "What happened?" he asked, pulling Draco from his thoughts.

Draco put his Malfoy mask in place and gave Blaise a cold look, "Why do you think something happened?" he commanded, after all Malfoys kept their business private at all times.

"Cut the bullshit Draco, not only have you not spent a single night in here since Christmas and you didn't heat me call your name just now, but I know you, what happened?"

"She thinks she might be pregnant. I handled it badly" Draco said quickly and concisely before flinging himself back against his pillows.

"Shit, sorry mate" Blaise said. "Is it for certain?"

Draco shook his head. It doesn't even matter. If she is pregnant then I will be happy to be the father of her child, I'm just worried that my stupid reaction means I've lost her forever"

"Whoa Drake, aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself, I mean you've only been together for what, four months. You can't be serious about wanting to be a father" Blaised reasoned.

"It isn't something I would have planned, but if it has happened I would never shirk my responsibilities, and Blaise there is no one I would rather have children with in the future. I am completely in love with her"

"Does she know that?" Blaise asked.

"I tell her everyday. But who knows what she thinks right now"

…

The next morning after not sleeping for even two minutes Draco raced up to the Great Hall and was the first student there, he hoped to catch Hermione before the rest of the Gryffindor twits were sat at the table.

He drank three glasses of pumpkin juice; he was so nervous that she would not listen that his mouth was parched. He couldn't stomach the thought of food.

His head shot up each time the door opened but each time he was disappointed. Eventually the hall was filled with students and the was no Hermione in sight.

Draco was about to leave his seat and make his way to her quarters when the post came and his own owl dropped and envelope in front of him.

He saw his name in Hermione's handwriting and quickly snatched the envelope from the table and ripped it open.

Inside there was no parchment. He felt something small and hard in the corner of the envelope, and pushed his long fingers inside, pulling out something round.

Hermione's promise ring.

Devestation coursed through Draco as he looked at the delicate sapphire and diamond ring in his hand. For Hermione to take off the ring, he had really lost her.

Draco immediately got up from his seat and put the ring in his pocket. One thing was for sure, he would not let her go without a fight, and in turn the child that she may at that very moment be carrying in her belly. There was no way he would lose that.

He left the hall, ignoring Blaise as he called after him and went straight up to Hermione's quarters. He bashed his fist against the portrait for a full five minutes before deciding to search in the other parts of the castle that Hermione frequented.

He went straight to the Library and to her usual table before searching the rest of the study area. Madame Pince informed him she seen Hermione at all that morning.

He ran back down to the main entrance and out into the grounds, he went to the tree line by the lake where that first kissed and found nothing.

It was getting late in the morning and he had to go back to the castle. He made his way to Defence Against the Dark Arts, knowing at least that he would see her in the lesson, but he wouldn't be able to speak to her and that was his main goal.

When he got to his classroom she was not in the queue of students waiting to go in. He was getting worried that something might actually be wrong and was about ready to go looking for her again when the Professor came out of the classroom and called them all in.

Just as Draco got settled in his seat, Hermione entered the classroom and took a seat at the front of the class, as far away as she could from his seat at the back.

Drac was completely distracted throughout the entire lesson and barely took in a word the teacher said or made any notes. His sole focus was on Hermione.

At the end of the lesson Hermione left before Draco had even got his books in his bag and he knew he wouldn't see her in the next lesson or after the way the morning had gone at lunch.

….

**Three Days Later**

Hermione did her best to avoid Draco since the night she told him that she might be pregnant. She did her lessons and her Head Girl duties and spent the rest of the time in her rooms.

She got the house elves to bring her meals and every night when she would hear Draco knocking on the portrait she would go up to her room and silence the area so that she didn't have to listen to him pleading to come in and speak to her.

She knew eventually she would have to face him but she just couldn't yet, at least not until she knew if she was in fact pregnant or not, and if she was what she would do about it.

The next day Gryffindor would be playing Ravenclaw in the school Quidditch cup and Hermione was determined that she was going to go and enjoy the game and just for a few hours not think about the predicament she was in.

The next day Hermione got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the match. She decided to do her business, have a relaxing shower and go down to the Quidditch pitch with the main body of students, at least that way she might be able to avoid Draco for a little longer.

When she entered the shower she almost squealed at the top of her voice, her period had finally come and she was definitely not pregnant.

She quickly got showered and ready for the match, joining the rest of the student body to walk down to the Quidditch Pitch.

She took her seat next to Ginny at the front of the Gryffindor stand and waited for the match to begin.

She jumped around and cheered as the teams flew out of the changing rooms and the match started.

Before she knew it Gryffindor were winning 70-10, she was so happy to just be having fun and not so completely stuck inside her own head that she didn't even notice the new presence beside her.

"The Gryffindor Seeker looks good" Draco remarked, making her jump.

She ignored him and cheered as Gryffindor scored another goal.

"Hermione please, just listen to me" Draco asked, he didn't want to beg with Ginny sitting just next to Hermione. He assumed since he hadn't been hexed into the next century yet that the nosey Gryffindor twits didn't know what had happened.

"Sweetheart I know I reacted badly the other day, I was just so shocked, I mean we've been so careful" Draco tried to explain, Hermione just continued to watch the match.

Draco realised that he was going to have to take drastic measures to make her listen.

He grabbed both of her hands and turned her to face him "For Merlin's sake Hermione, how are we supposed to have a baby together if you won't even look at me?" he whispered.

Hermione just looked at him.

"Hermione if you really are pregnant I want to be there every step of the way, I don't want to lose you, and I would be proud to be the father of your children even if it is a little early. I love you"

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes, this was what she wanted the night she told him her period was late, this overwhelming feeling of support was all she had needed.

"I love you too" she whispered back, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips.

"Thank heaven, now hold out your hand" Draco softly commanded, pulling her ring from his pocket.

He slipped it back on her finger, "don't you ever take this off again"

Hermione smiled and moved her mouth close to his ear, "I won't and I'm not pregnant"

Draco grabbed Hermione and swung her around in the small space they were standing in.

"Oh sweetheart, that's wonderful" Draco exclaimed.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"Not that I didn't mean everything I just said, but I think children need to be a little further in the future" Draco quickly explained.

Hermione just held the look a little longer before the smile cracked on her face and she kissed him again.

Just as Draco put her down, the Gryffindor Seeker caught the Snitch and ended the game to loud cheering from the Gryffindor stand.

_AN: So I hope it was worth the wait, I hope I see some reviews telling me your thoughts and again I'm so sorry it took so long_


	17. Chapter 17

_Well it has been a very long time and I apologise, I can only say that I had 2 very good reasons. Firstly my grandmother died, and I lost the ability to think never mind write. That took me a while to deal with, then about 2 weeks ago I sat down and started writing only to have the fan on my laptop break rendering it useless, so off it went to the shop to be fixed while I sat with a good old fashioned pad and pen and wrote out 3 chapters... and here is the first._

_The others will be with you just as soon as I can type them up, this is kind of fluffy and cute and of course lemony but I mentioned this earlier so I was determined to deliver. Not beta'd as I have just finished typing it up_

_Disclaimer: All recognizeed characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I don't own anything from the Harry Potter world or make any money from writing this fanfic_

Another month passed without incident, Hermione and Draco's relationship strengthened even more. They were now obviously very much in love.

Hermione heard from Harry, a short letter telling her about Auror training and that he had decided to fix up Grimmauld Place as he couldn't stay at the Burrow forever, and Hermione secretly thought that he was probably doing it for when Ginny left Hogwarts.

He didn't mention Ron at all and Hermione wasn't sure what she would do about him. After all her initial reaction of never wanting to see him again from the shock of his cheating had passed.

She decided that during the next holiday from school in a month's time she would visit the Burrow and see if there was any way to salvage the relationship, she couldn't just throw away eight years of friendship and love.

However that would be in a month, and now she needed to concentrate on her studies, which of course Draco was trying to distract her from, this time with trying to get her on a broomstick.

"Come on love, you promised" Draco said as he took a book out of her hands.

"Draco for Circe's sake will you give up already, I need to study!" she responded, trying to snatch the book back, failing miserably as he held it high out of her reach.

"No I will not allow you to go back on your promise, you said in Australia that if I got on that awful flying machine, you would let me teach you to fly a broomstick properly, so let's go" Draco said grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the portrait that exited her rooms.

Hermione huffed and folded her arms, "can't it wait until the holiday's, I don't want the entire student body to watch as I throw up in mid-air"

"Well unless you know a way to make us invisible, then I won't be able to show you in your parents back garden during the holidays" Draco countered, knowing that she wouldn't be able to argue about the necessity of keeping magic a secret around her muggle neighbours.

"Draco please, I really don't want to" she pleaded. She truly was petrified of the height and really didn't want to do it.

Draco softened his stance and pulled her into his embrace, "I swear on my own life that I will not let anything happen to you" he said quietly.

"Look, for your first go we can be on the same broom, I will help you control it and if you really can't stand it we'll come back down" he assured her.

"It's not like I've never been on a broomstick Draco, I just get so dizzy and queasy" she said as she snuggled into his embrace.

"I promise that we will fly straight back down if you feel like that" he said firmly.

Hermione took a deep breath, "Okay, but can we please not be around others while we do this"

They made their way through the draftee corridors and out into the grounds holding hands. Draco led Hermione to their spot by the lake and quickly cast "Accio" to summon his broom.

It flew towards them and hovered by Draco's side, waiting to be mounted. Draco swung his leg over it and mounted the broom then held his hand out to Hermione.

She held out her shaking hand and gripped Draco's firm one. She told herself to buck up and find her Gryffindor courage. She swung her leg over the broom and settled back into Draco's embrace.

"I won't let go" he whispered as he secured his left arm around her waist and leant them forward.

Hermione put both her small hands on the broom handle and Draco covered them with his free one.

"When you're ready, kick off" he gently told her.

Hermione took a few deep breaths and firmly planted her feet on the ground, bent her knees and pushed them into the air.

They were hovering just a few feet above the ground and Hermione's entire body was already stiff.

"Sweetheart relax, we're barely in the air" Draco tried to sooth her.

"I know, I've just realised I've never been on a broomstick or in one case on a dragon without being on some perilous mission. I've never just flown for the sake of flying" Hermione explained.

"Okay, well I wouldn't exactly call hovering 4ft from the ground flying, why don't we go a bit higher" Draco coaxed.

Hermione nodded but still didn't move. "You promised we could come back down if I don't like it right?"

"I swear" Draco confirmed. "Now show me exactly what you can do Gryffindor Lioness"

With Draco's assurance Hermione felt confidence flow through her and she tilted the broom handle up slightly, and closed her eyes as the broom began to rise.

Draco felt her tense up even more and looked around as best as he could at their angle and saw Hermione's eyes were closed.

"First rule of flying, eyes open or you'll crash into something" he half joked.

"You can steer, I'm not risking getting dizzy and falling off this thing" Hermione squeaked.

"No cheating, I refuse to steer, now open your eyes" Draco commanded.

"Draco you promised nothing would happen" Hermione cried as she tightened her grip even more.

"And nothing will happen if you open your eyes" Draco replied firmly.

Hermione huffed and slightly opened one eye and peaked. She gathered that they were now hovering just slightly above the treetops of the forbidden forest.

She slowly opened both eyes and took a look around. She decided that as long as she didn't look down, she didn't feel too dizzy and that with Draco holding her she was very safe.

"Okay, so this isn't so bad" she conceded.

"I'm glad you finally agree, there is nothing like the adrenaline you feel when you fly a broom. Now why don't you take us somewhere" Draco prompted.

Hermione nodded, "Just don't let go"

"Never" Draco whispered, planting a kiss on her ear.

Hermione slowly leaned forwarded and the broom began to move. She got them all the way to the greenhouses before she sat back up and let out a little triumphant squeak when they made it.

"This is so silly, I've flown before but I feel like I've learnt something new" Hermione said as she turned them around and flew them back towards the castle.

"It isn't silly, it's like you said before. You've never flown just for the sake of it. You've never taken the time to feel the wind rushing through your hair or the power of the broom beneath you" Draco reasoned.

Hermione laughed as she allowed herself to feel exactly that, her usual vertigo completely forgotten.

Slowly they began to descend and eventually touched ground at the entrance to the castle. Hermione climbed off the broom and Draco followed suit.

"Draco take your broom back to the Slytherin dorm and then come back to my rooms, okay?" Hermione told him.

"Okay, but what do you want to do this evening?" Draco asked.

"Let me put it this way, the quicker you take your broom back, the quicker I can show you" she purred, running her hand down his torso and stopping only when she was cupping his calls through his trousers.

"Are you sure?" Draco groaned as she began massaging them.

"I know we haven't done it since I thought I was pregnant, but I really want you…..inside me….. now" Hermione lightly tugged on his balls and Draco almost came on the spot.

Draco grabbed her and moved them until they were against the castle walls to the side of the entrance where they couldn't be seen.

"Forget taking the broom back" Draco growled.

"No, I don't want to do it here" Hermione stopped him.

"You want me to walk down to the dungeons with this?" Draco thrust himself against her to show her the raging hard on she had given him.

Hermione shook her head and dropped to her knee, unzipping Draco's trousers.

"Whoa, Hermione love you don't have to do that" Draco said as she leant forward to take Draco's engorged head into her mouth for the first time.

"I know, I want to, just guide me okay" Hermione replied and proceeded to take Draco into her mouth.

Draco groaned as she began to bob up and down on his length. Hermione stilled and looked up, unsure if she was doing it right and Draco whimpered.

"Don't stop" he moaned, his head rolling back as she began to move her mouth up and down on him again.

Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and wrapped it around the part that wasn't in her mouth; he almost lost control, just barely holding off his orgasm as Hermione became bolder and moved faster.

"Babe I can't hold on, you better stop" Draco panted.

Hermione made a noise that sounded like "no" and the vibrations that he voice caused made Draco thrust forward.

Realising that he liked it she began to moan around him, swirling her tongue as she moved up and down.

Draco lost control completely and gripped her hair as he ejaculated into Hermione's mouth.

A little shocked at his sudden movement and the taste of his salty seed Hermione swallowed and Draco groaned again.

He slipped out of her mouth and pulled her to stand, "Are you okay?"

Hermione smiled and nodded, "Go and take your broom, I want you in my room, naked and ready for me in five minutes" she whispered.

Draco barely remembered to zip himself back up before he grabbed his broom and ran up the stairs to the front door.

Hermione followed his path and carried on through the castle and up to her dormitory, she went up to her room and stripped down to her underwear.

She used her want to transfigure her underwear into a black strapless basque and thong, with stockings that were held up by a garter.

She lay back on the bed after dimming the lamps and positioned herself so that she was propped up against the pillows with one leg bent at the knee.

Only a moment later Draco burst through the door, panting with a pink tinge to his cheek, he had obviously not stopped running since he had left Hermione outside.

He took one look at Hermione and forgot how to breath. A month without sex, followed by an amazing blowjob out in the school grounds no less and now that outfit!

He growled and threw himself on the bed and attacked Hermione's neck.

He spent the rest of the night making love to her.

_AN: Well I hope you enjoyed, as promised there is already 2 more chapters on paper and just need typing but obviously I would still love to know what everyone thinks of this chapter. Hermione's Basque is on my profile_


	18. Chapter 18

_As promised the next chapter. A little shorter than I normally put out but it sets us up nicely for the next chapter, and that is an important one...believe me._

_Not Beta'd, please just ignore the typos._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I don't own anything from the Harry Potter Universe and I make no money from writing this._

A few days after her flying lesson Hermione found herself in the monthly meeting with Professor McGonagall and the prefects.

There wasn't very much to discuss, the prefect rota was working out well and everyone seemed happy with his or her allotted areas.

Hermione however left the meeting feeling unhappy. Again Neville had sat at the complete opposite end of the room, not looking at her or contributing when she involved him in the conversation.

She decided that along with needing a plan to deal with Ron, she would also need one to med her friendship with Neville.

She knew she would need outside help and immediately ran to catch up with Ginny.

"Gin have you got a second?" she called, as Ginny was about to climb a staircase towards Gryffindor tower.

Ginny turned and nodded, "wanna check out my dorm?" Hermione suggested. Strictly speaking Ginny wasn't supposed to go to the head dorms, but after spending seven years with Harry and Ron she had given up trying to stick to the rules.

She led Ginny down to the fourth floor and whispered her password to the portrait.

"Wow, Percy never let on about all this when he was head boy, sneaky git" Ginny remarked as she looked around the common room.

"Well Neville and I were supposed to share it but that didn't work out very well" Hermione replied sadly.

"I noticed he was being a bit weird towards you. What happened?" Ginny asked as she flopped into the comfy armchair opposite Hermione who had stretched out on to a couch.

"To be honest Gin, it's the reason I asked you here, I don't know what to do" Hermione admitted.

"Okay…" Ginny promoted.

"Well it all started just before the Christmas holidays. Neville got really angry when I said that Draco would be coming home with me. When I confronted him and asked why he said he was in love with me" Hermione explained.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on. Neville is in love with you? I thought he had the hots for Luna!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Me too. I think it's just a crush but Neville obviously thinks it's more. He asked Professor McGonagall to take head boy away from him so that he could leave the dorm" Hermione continued.

"Which she obviously refused" Ginny guessed.

"Yes, she just gave him new rooms. The problem is, I can't get him to talk to me, and if he won't talk to me I can't repair our friendship" Hermione finished.

"Hmm, well I think we need to bring Luna in on this for one, and number two I will get him in a room and you can be there to talk, if I have to put him in a full body bind I will, because this situation is ridiculous" Ginny stated.

"Well number two I can agree with, preferably without having to hex him, but I don't see how Luna can help" Hermione responded.

"Well Luna has been pining after Neville for years, a little nudge might be all she needs to actually try and snag him. If you're right and it's just a crush then a little female attention might snap him out of it" Ginny explained.

"Okay, but don't tell her about all this, let her think that I have nothing to do with it, she is much more savvy than she is given credit for and I don't want all this to get around the castle, because you know that will lead straight to the Daily Prophet, it's not fair to Neville" Hermione said as she began to get into planning mode.

"Yeah they do seem to like writing about you and Malfoy, it's taken so much heat off Harry, but Rita Skeeter is going too far, it would be obvious to an adolescent dragon that most of the these stories are a pile of dung" Ginny said, picking up that day's Prophet and pointing to the front page.

"Well I'm glad Harry is getting some benefit from it, and as for Rita Skeeter, I will deal with her once I'm out of Hogwarts. I'm sure a few well timed pictures is all I'll need" Hermione said with an evil glint in her and a smirk on her face,

"Oh Merlin, I can see hanging around a Slytherin so much is rubbing off on you" Ginny observed dramatically.

"Well who do you think is going to organise getting the pictures for me" Hermione laughed, after all what was the point of having a well-connected boyfriend if she couldn't take advantage occasionally.

They sat and created a plan for getting Neville into a room alone, for the rest of the evening.

Hermione really enjoyed it, and didn't want to admit how much she missed sitting around with Harry and Ron planning their next adventure.

They agreed to give Luna a few days to flirt with Neville before Hermione attempted to talk to him.

After finalising the plan Ginny sat back and put her hands behind her head, "So, how's Malfoy?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"_Draco_ is fine" Hermione answered, putting emphasis on his first name.

"Still loved up?" Ginny asked, stifling a laugh.

Hermione blushed and didn't answer.

"Oh come on 'Mione, don't make me beg, what's he like…you know?" Ginny raised her eyebrows a couple of times.

"Ginny, I've told you before and I'll say it again for the last time. I'm not going to talk about that" Hermione exclaimed.

"I swear I won't say anything about me and Harry" Ginny coaxed.

Hermione shook her head and breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the portrait open….. saving her from Ginny interrogating her any further about her sex life.

"Hello sweetheart" Draco said as he kissed Hermione and sat down with his arm around her shoulder.

"Weaslette" he nodded at Ginny.

"Ferret" Ginny replied.

"Oh for Merlin's sake" Hermione muttered.

"Right well I need to go, homework and all that" Ginny said as she got up from her seat.

Hermione walked her to the portrait, "So are you two gonna….?" Ginny asked, one more try at getting Hermione to talk.

"Goodnight Ginny" Hermione laughed as she opened the portrait.

…

Hermione watched Neville with great interest in the following days. She saw Luna sitting with him and talking during various meals and even heard a snippet of the conversation one lunchtime, he was explaining the properties of Devil's Snare leaves and Luna was listening with rapt attention.

Four days after their night of scheming in the head dorms, Ginny caught Hermione during dinner.

"I think it's working. Neville asked Luna if she wanted to spend this Saturday with him in Hogsmede, like on a date" Ginny explained.

"Fantastic! Oh thank Merlin. I was really worried" Hermione sighed in relief.

"Well I wouldn't get too excited, lets make sure this weekend goes okay before you try and talk to him" Ginny suggested.

"Yeah, you're right, I won't try to talk to him yet. What are your plans for Hogsmede Gin?" Hermione asked.

"Harry's coming, we're going to have lunch and hopefully keep clear of the press" Ginny replied, going all dreamy eyes after mentioning Harry.

"That's nice, I suppose you haven't seen him since the Valentine's Hogsmede weekend" Hermione speculated.

"Yep, I can't wait, although I know he really wants to see you 'Mione, why don't you join us" Ginny asked.

"I don't want to interrupt, you guys need time together." Hermione declined.

"Harry misses you 'Mione. He moved into Grimmauld Place so he can decorate, being without you and Ron he hasn't said it but I know, he feels weird, you guys used to be inseparable" Ginny argued.

"I miss him too, but in three and half months school will be over and we can see each other whenever we want" Hermione insisted.

"Oh come on Hermione, just lunch and then we'll split off…. You can even bring the ferret; I wont take no for and answer" Ginny demanded.

"Fine, I give in. We'll go out for lunch, but you might want to pick somewhere private, Me and Harry together… we won't get away from the press for a second" Hermione conceded.

"We can get a private room at the Three Broomsticks" Ginny answered her, "Harry will be so happy when I tell him"

They furnished their dinner and Hermione said goodnight. Now she had to tell Draco that he was spending that Saturday with Harry Potter.

_Well I hope you liked it, nice bit of plotting from the girls. Be nice to see Harry in the next chapter. Reviews are very welcome._


	19. Chapter 19

_Well this is the one of three chapters I was really excited about. Can Hermione fix things with Ron and Neville? Or is it a disaster waiting to happen? Let's see shall we.._

_Not Beta'd so please don't start telling me about typos_

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from writing this and own nothing in the Harry Potter Universe._

Saturday had arrived and with it a Hogsmede weekend. Hermione and Neville were with Professor McGonagall, helping to get all the students with permission into the Thestral pulled carriages.

Draco had grumbled all morning about having to spend the day with Harry, until Hermione pointed out that she wasn't forcing him but he would have to deal with her friends eventually if he was going to be part of her life.

Now he was very grumpily sitting in a carriage with Ginny, on the way to meet Harry, where they would wait for Hermione to finish her Head Girl duties.

"Nicolas Allen" Hermione called, "don't think I can't see you sneaking into that carriage, five pints from Hufflepuff" she reprimanded the little second year that had tried to sneak into a carriage on every Hogsmede weekend since September.

As the boy walked back into the castle, mumbling to himself Hermione took another look around and got into the last carriage to go to the little wizarding village.

She settled herself in for the short journey, arranging her cardigan so as not to get wrinkled when the carriage door opened and Neville got in.

She decided not to try and start a conversation - would only get rebuffed or ignored - and sat quietly looking out of the window as the carriage started moving.

"Hey" he said quietly.

She smiled but didn't say anything, Today was going to be a good day, and that did not include feeling guilty about Neville.

"Err.. Hermione, can I talk to you for a second before we get there?" Neville asked.

"You can talk to me whenever you like, I never told you not to" Hermione replied, keeping an even voice and calm smile on her face.

"Erm yeah, well I just wanted to say sorry for avoiding you the last few months and stuff, I guess I didn't handle my feelings well" Neville told her.

Hermione resisted the urge to let her jaw drop to the carriage floor, the plan was working better than she and Ginny planned it would seem.

"Well I guess I understand, it's definitely hard to see someone you have feelings for with someone else. I don't really think moving out of the head dorm was necessary though" Hermione replied, thinking back Ron's debut as Gryffindor goalkeeper and the subsequent snog he shared with Lavender in the common room after.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, I just can't stand watching him with you, I mean he's still Malfoy" Neville tried to explain.

"I know who he is Neville. It's splashed all over the Daily Prophet every day to remind me! Look how about this, we start afresh, from today no more avoiding or ignoring, we fought a war together. This cannot ruin our friendship!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Okay, starting fresh sounds good" Neville agreed.

"Good, so what are your plans for the day?" Hermione asked, even though she already knew.

Neville blushed and mumbled "Date with Luna"

"That's great!" Hermione exclaimed again, putting all the emphasis in her exclamation as if she hadn't known.

"Yeah, we're just going to Madam Puddifoot's but I think we'll have fun, she's really nice" Neville admitted.

"Of course she is, Luna is great, a little eccentric maybe, but still a wonderful person" Hermione agreed.

Just as Neville was about to say something else the carriage stopped. Hermione looked out the window and realised they were already in Hogsmede, just across from the Three Broomsticks.

Draco was standing outside, he looked furious. A look that got worse when Neville helped Hermione out of the carriage.

Hermione said goodbye to Neville and crossed to the pub.

"What are you doing standing around out here for?" she asked as she kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Weaselbee decided to join scarhead and the Weasette for the day, he almost had a stroke when he saw me standing there. What was that gormless oaf Longbottom doing with you?" Draco asked, he was clearly seething.

"Darling calm down" Hermione soothed, Draco's grey eyes were almost black and his hands were curled into fists.

"And please stop calling Harry and Ginny those names, I really hate it" Hermione told him.

"I'll call them whatever the bloody hell I want Hermione and I don't want Longbottom touching you again, I don't want anyone touching you" Draco raged.

"For goodness sake Draco, he only gave me his hand to help me off the carriage, what on earth has gotten into you?" she demanded.

"Oh screw this I don't need to sit with those self-obsessed Gryffindor 'Oh I saved the world' freaks" Draco yelled.

Hermione's eyes welled up instantly and she stepped back from him, "I see, so that's what you think of me too is it? I'm glad you told me this now" Hermione said turning her back on him and entering the pub.

Draco didn't follow her as she asked Madam Rosmerta where her friends were, and followed the older witch up to the private rooms.

She entered the room that she was directed to and upon seeing the occupants, walked straight over to Ron and punched him square on the nose.

"Bloody Fucking Hell Hermione! What did you do that for?" he screeched from the floor.

"It was for whatever stupid ignorant pathetic thing you said or did that put my boyfriend into such a bad mood that he would insult a plant pot if it was in his way!" Hermione screamed back at him.

"What did you do Ronald?" Hermione demanded.

"Just told him a few home truths, maybe he'll get the message and leave you alone" Ron replied, without any remorse in his voice at all, even with the blood flowing from his nose.

"For Circe's sake Ron, I don't want him to leave me alone. In fact the only person I really want gone is you. I can't believe I actually considered making up with you, you stupid self-centred git" she yelled, turning to leave.

Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her back just as she reached the door, he turned to Ron, "I think you should leave"

"Oh come on Harry, you know you agree with me" Ron brushed him off.

"I said, I think you should leave" Harry said again, "You've gone to far Ron"

"But we're mates, he just the son of a death eater and an arsehole to boot" Ron argued.

This time Hermione turned and pulled her wand on him "If you don't leave I will hex you so badly, Lucius Malfoy would beg me to be his daughter"

Ron growled but gave up and walked to the door, slamming it behind him.

"What did he do?" Hermione demanded immediately.

Ginny stepped forward from her spot in the corner where she had stayed quiet, struggling between family loyalty and wanting to smack Ron for being a royal pratt.

"He didn't do anything, just running his mouth as usual"

"Fine, what did he say" Hermione sighed, exasperated.

"Just the usual, that's he's a death eater and should be in Azkaban etc.." Harry told her.

"No, don't cover for him, that wouldn't put Draco in that mood" Hermione insisted.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, silently communicating.

"Someone better tell me before I go and hex him into the next millennium" Hermione growled.

"He said that he would prove Malfoy has you under the imperious curse and that he would enjoy personally arresting and charging Draco with use of an unforgivable and rape" Ginny whispered.

Hermione's mouth dropped open and she slumped into the nearest available seat "Oh no" she quietly cried.

"I'm sorry 'Mione, I never would have let him come with me if I thought he was going to do that, he said he wanted to make amends" Harry said as he put his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"You don't understand. When he came back to school, he was completely messed up. I used to have to talk him into eating. Being around all those death eaters and the things they used to do, he barely mentally survived as he was forced to watch them rape and kill people for fun. You really have no idea what Ron just did" Hermione said as she wiped away her tears, only to have them replaced with new ones.

Before Harry could say anything Hermione jumped up, "Oh god Neville. If Draco sees Neville he might do something really stupid" she screeched as she ran to the door.

Harry and Ginny followed her as she ran straight out of the pub and down the street towards Madam Pudifoot's.

She could see Neville and Luna sitting at the back, no Draco in sight and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"Harry do you have the Marauder's Map with you?" I need to see if he went back to school" Hermione explained as Harry gave her an odd look and pulled it from his back pocket.

He pointed his wand at the blank parchment "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good"

Hermione opened the map right up until she could see the Slytherin common room, Draco wasn't there. Nor was he in her rooms, the Astronomy tower or any of his other usual haunts around the school.

"Where is he" she mumbled to herself.

"Wait, there!" Ginny exclaimed, pointing to a disused classroom, "he's got Blaise Zabini with him"

Hermione breathed deeply and calmed herself down.

"Guys, go and enjoy the rest of your day okay, you don't need to deal with this" Hermione said, pointing her wand at the map and muttering "Mischief managed"

Harry grabbed Hermione in a fierce embrace "I'm really sorry 'Mione"

"Not your fault Harry, you didn't know what he was going to do, but today settles it, I really will never speak to Ronald Billius Weasley again ad I understand if that causes a problem for you guys and you don't want to be around me anymore" Hermione said hoping with everything in her that Harry wouldn't cut her out of his life.

"Don't be ridiculous Hermione, apart from our blood you are my sister in every way, I would never do that to you" Harry assured her, before taking Ginny's hand and walking away, the longer they were on the street the more likely the press would find them.

Hermione made her way back to the carriages and back to the castle.

Once she was there she wasn't sure what she should do. She didn't want to go to Draco and make things worse, but she was desperate to see him and make sure he was okay.

She decided to go to the room the two boys were holed up in and listen outside the door to see how the land lay.

She could hear loud banging and the sound of wood cracking. She peeped through a crack in the door and could see Draco kicking a table to pieces, he looked almost possessed.

The head girl in her wanted to go in and put a stop to the destruction. The girlfriend in her wanted to go in and comfort him, but the clever witch and war heroin in her knew a death eater when she saw one and she knew it would be better to leave him alone.

Blaise was with him, that would have to be enough.

Slowly she made her way back to her rooms and sat on the couch to wait, he would come eventually.

…

What felt like days but was really only hours later the portrait slammed open and Draco stumbled in.

"GRANGER!" he screamed even though she was standing right in front of him.

"I'm right here Draco, stop screaming" she said to him, quickly checking the hall for anyone that might have seen him and closing the portrait. Warding it shut.

Draco was swaying on the spot, his cheeks were rosy and he smelt like he had been swimming in a barrel of Ogden's finest.

"Draco, I'm so sorry about Ronald, I swear I will never see that pig-headed oaf again, I'll never forgive him" she told him, trying to interlace her fingers with him.

Draco snatched his hand away and stumbled across the room.

"Why apologise, after all I am a death eater, this proves it" he replied sarcastically, raising his sleeve to show his fading dark mark.

"Draco you know that isn't true, you are not a death eater, you never really were" Hermione soothed him.

"Oh I know that. But Weaselbee is going to arrest me for raping you, can't argue with wonderboy's sidekick" he slurred.

"Draco stop it, I love you. Please, it's just Ron being a horrendous idiot"

"Well more fool you, I thought you were the smartest witch of your age, how stupid of you to fall in love with a death eater" Draco growled, picking up a book from her desk and throwing it across the room.

"Draco please, let's just go to bed" Hermione whispered as she felt tears leak from her eyes, she hadn't seen this violent side of him since the war.

"Oh bed, great idea, if I'm going to be thrown in Azkaban for rape, I might as well be in the scene of the crime when they come to get me" Draco slurred before his eyes rolled back and he promptly fell backwards.

Hermione ran and checked him over, deciding he was fine and had only passed out from the obviously large amount of whiskey he had consumed. She levitated him on to the couch and covered him with a conjured blanket.

She went up to her room and got in bed, she cried until no more tears would come and then went to sleep.

She would deal with the aftermath in the morning.

_So who thinks Ron should be fed to a Hungarian Horntail right now? Don't get me wrong I love Ron Weasley in the Original, but he's the bad guy in this one, there had to be one! So who is going to review and tell me what they think huh? Huh? HUH?_


	20. Chapter 20

_AN: Quite a long chapter from me for a change, longest one I've written in a long time. Hope you all enjoy, not beta'd yet so please ignore the typos. _

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this and own nothing._

The next morning Draco groaned at the pounding in his head and rolled over to snuggle up to Hermione, only to find his face pressed against the floor.

Through the pounding he surveyed the room and realised he had slept on the couch in Hermione's common room and had fallen off said couch.

He practically crawled to the staircase and climbed the stairs up to Hermione's room. He quietly opened the door and his heart sank as he saw her asleep on top of the covers with her clothes from the day before still on and tissues all around her.

She had quite clearly cried herself to sleep.

The problem was Draco couldn't remember what he had done. He closed the door and leant against it, desperately trying to rack his brain for some memory of the day before.

Going to Hogsmede with the Weaslette, trying to be civil to scarhead. Turning to see Weaselbee in the room and arguing with him.

Snapping at Hermione for being with Longbottom and then smashing up a classroom while his best friend watched on helpless.

The series of events made a bubble of fury rise from within him but the worst part was that he couldn't remember getting back to Hermione's rooms or how he ended up on the couch.

The fury continued to intensify, he wanted to kill that red headed pratt for the accusations he had made. He would never ever do something so horrendous to a woman.

He still had nightmares about the things he witnessed as a death eater, nightmares that had lessened substantially since he began dating Hermione.

She was his strength, the reason he could face each day. He never understood why she was so kind to him when he came back to Hogwarts, but onc ehe got to know her, he saw the unwavering kindness that radiated from her.

Even when she was bossing him around, it was usually for his own good.

Throughout his musings he leant against the door, continually trying to remember what had happened after Blaise brought out the whiskey. He didn't feel when she opened the door, causing him to fall backwards and land at her feet with a thud and a groan.

"Morning" he grunted as he pulled himself up into a sitting position.

Hermione nodded and stepped around him to go down to the common room. He sighed and got up to go after her.

He found her packing her school bag with some books and parchment.

"Where are you going?" he asked, rubbing his temples to make the pounding stop.

"The library" she replied quickly, not looking at him.

"Hermione, what happened? I don't even remember getting here last night" Draco grabbed her arm gently to pull her away from her bag.

"I don't want to talk about it Draco" she quietly sighed.

She pulled her arm from his grip, lifted her bag onto her shoulder, "I'll see you later"

She left Draco standing in the middle of the common room and went to the library with her head down.

Draco felt terribly guilty but Hermione obviously didn't want to talk and he felt rougher than he had in many years of drinking and decided to go and sort himself out before trying again.

He made his way down to the Slytherin common room and entered it as quickly as his queasy stomach could handle.

"How you feeling mate?" Blaise asked slapping him on the back as Draco dropped down on the couch.

Draco groaned in response.

"Oh, yeah I figured as much. Didn't Granger have any hangover potion?" Blaise asked.

"She's barely talking to me" Draco groaned from under the arm that was slapped over his eyes to block the candlelight in the damp dungeon.

"What happened?" Blaise asked, as he summoned a vial of hangover potion from his trunk in the boys' dorm.

I honestly have no idea" Draco answered, grateful for the potion that he swallowed in one.

"I'm going to take a shower and let this potion work, then I'll go to the library and sort it out" Draco told his best friend, hauling himself off the couch and heading down to the boys bathroom.

…..

Sitting in the library and staring at her Herbology homework was not helping Hermione. She had had a fitful nights sleep and her eyes were still red from crying so much the night before.

"Granger, can we talk?"

Hermione looked up to see Blaise standing by her table. She nodded and gestured to the seat opposite her.

"Look, whatever happened between you and Draco last night is none of my business and I'm not even going to ask, but you have to understand that he isn't as tough as he acts. He went to hell while He Who Must Not Be Named was back" Blaise tried to explain.

Hermione put her hand up. "Blaise I know. And I know what Ron did yesterday was completely ridiculous, he is a complete shit. And I'm not ignoring Draco or not talking to him. I just needed time to gather my thoughts"

"Oh. Well okay" Blaise had expected to have to argue his friends case a lot more, he had expected Hermione to be On Weasley's side after Draco had come back to the common room that morning.

"But one thing I will not accept, is his behaviour last night. That will not be happening again" Hermione made her feelings clear by stabbing her quill into the inkpot.

"Yeah we were kind of hammered, my idea, sorry about that. I'm sure whatever he said or did he didn't mean it" Blaise conceded.

Hermione sighed, "I just don't want him to go back to how he was in September. Not eating, not sleeping, not shaving even. Since when did he ever leave the privacy of his dorm without looking his best? That concerns me more than him getting drunk and being stupid"

"The one difference between then and now Granger…." Blaise got up and patted Hermione's shoulder, "you"

Blaise walked away and left Hermione to her thoughts.

…

Two hours later Hermione entered her common room with a completed Herbology essay and a much calmer outlook on the previous days events.

She put her bag in her room, put on her cloak and left to make her way out to the grounds. She was almost certain she knew where Draco would be.

Of course she was right, he was saying in their spot in the tree line by the lake, leaning against a tree with his eyes closed.

She sat quietly next to him and leaned forward to peck his lips. Draco jumped and she barely suppressed a giggle.

"Hey" she smiled and took his hand.

"What did I do Hermione? Please….I didn't you know, hurt you or anything?" Draco's voice was sad and pleading.

"No Draco. You didn't hurt me" she gave him the relief he was obviously desperately in need of, "but we do need to talk about last night"

Draco nodded and intertwined his fingers with Hermione's, he would happily discuss anything she liked for as long as she liked now that he knew that he hadn't hurt her. Now that he knew he wasn't just like his death eater father.

"Draco, I've never seen you like that before. To be very honest I don't ever want to see you like that again. You have been nothing short of amazing to me since we got back to Hogwarts and I will not watch you punish yourself anymore" Hermione was firm in her statement.

"You know I love you don't you?" Draco was desperate for reassurance.

"I know and I love you Draco Malfoy. I love you very much" she leant forward and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Now let's go to the Great Hall because I'm sure you won't have eaten today, and then we're going back to my rooms and I'll prove to you just how much I want and need you and how wrong you were last night" she got up and firmly held his hand going back to the castle.

….

The following weeks were difficult for Draco. Even with all of Hermione's reassurances he couldn't help but slump slightly into the depression he had felt when he first came back to school.

He knew he was never a proper death eater, and he knew that he hadn't committed the crimes that Ron had accused him off, but he couldn't help but feel like he would never be seen as anything other than a Malfoy and everything that came with it.

"Draco" Hermione called him out of his reverie one evening as they curled up in her bed, "I've heard from my parents, they are happy for you to come with me and stay during Easter"

"Happy?" Draco asked unconvinced.

"Oh Draco. Please don't worry about my dad. He'll learn to understand" Hermione soothed him.

"Okay, three days from now and we're going to go to my parents, get away from Hogwarts, have a break and when we get back everything is going to be better. Deal?" Hermione proposed.

"Okay. Deal" Draco conceded. He kissed her and felt a little contentment as she lay her head on his bare chest and went to sleep.

.…

The journey home was strange for Hermione.

She found herself in one of the longer carriages on the train with none other than the Slytherins, after Blaise found them sitting alone earlier in the journey and insisted that they join him.

She sat in the corner of the booth close to one of the doors and stared out of the window as Blaise and Draco talked.

Draco, of course insisted she come with him when Blaise refused to take no for an answer even though she had said she would be fine with him going, and now sat with a tight grip on her hand.

He could feel the waves of discomfort rolling off of her and continually tried to include her in the conversation, but the dirty looks and whispering made Hermione wish a hole would open in the ground and swallow her.

Pansy Parkinson spent a lot of time with Theodore Nott, talking very loudly about unwelcome guests and even having the nerve to mention events during the final battle that would hit Hermione's buttons. The worst being a mention of Fred.

At that point Hermione had to battle with herself so that she did not pull her wand from her pocket and rearrange Pansy's face with an everlasting stinging hex, but a very swift and nasty look from Draco and Blaise made Pansy stop that particular line of conversation before Hermione gave into her instincts.

"Draco, would you be offended if I went to see Ginny for a while, I won't be going to the Burrow this holiday" Hermione asked when being in present company became too much for her.

Draco wanted to stop her, as he hated being away from her. He actually felt like the constant cloud over his head only went away when she was by his side, but he could see she was at the end of her rope and nodded, making a big show of kissing her before moving to let her out of the carriage.

She found Ginny quickly and breathed a sigh of relief as she sat next to her.

"I love Draco, but there is only so much of that rubbish that I can take" she grumbled as a hello to Ginny, immediately gaining the attention of Neville, Luna and Dean Thomas.

"What's going on 'Mione?" Neville prompted.

"Somehow Draco, with the help of Blaise Zabini, managed to talk me into sitting with the Slytherins. I've spent the last hour doing everything I could not to rip Pansy Parkinson's hair out" Hermione growled.

"An Hour! I wouldn't have lasted ten minutes. Why didn't you come to us earlier?" Ginny asked, laughing at Hermione as she scowled.

"Draco wanted me with him. I don't think he's very comfortable with them anymore. He's been practically attached to me since the whole episode with your idiot brother" Hermione responded.

"Speaking of which, the same idiot brother is going to be away for the next month with the Auror's, and mum says if you don't come and see her she'll never let him backing the house again" Ginny informed Hermione. "So can I tell her you'll come round?"

"Of course. I'll owl her when I've worked out what to do with Draco for a day. I doubt leaving him alone with my father for any period of time will go down well, he still hasn't forgiven dad for his behaviour in Australia" Hermione explained.

"What happened in Australia?" Dean perked up. Hermione hadn't really spoken to her friends very much about it as talking about it normally upset her and she was just glad that her parents were home and safe.

"Well, I sent them there when Harry, Ron and I went on the run. I obliviated them and sent them away so that the Death Eaters wouldn't find them. Minister Shacklebolt helped me find them and over the Christmas holidays Draco and I went there to bring them back" Hermione took a breath.

"You could say my father reacted unfavourably. Draco being a little overprotective pulled his wand on him and I had to get involved and hex my father myself to stop Draco doing something worse"

"You hexed your father?" Neville exclaimed.

"Not a bad hex, I used impedimenta on him so that he would stop from getting worked up" Hermione explained.

Everyone was looking her like she had gone insane, except for Luna who was reading the Quibbler upside down.

"Anyway, my parents are allowing Draco to stay, but leaving him alone will be a bad move" she finished.

"Okay, well you know what mum's like, so I would come if I were you" Ginny stated.

After they finished talking, Dean challenged Ginny to a game of Wizard's Chess and Hermione enjoyed watching Ginny beat him spectacularly.

An hour before they reached London, Draco entered the compartment and found Ginny and Hermione laughing with Luna and Dean pouring over his Chess board with Neville, trying get some of his pride back.

"Sweetheart. I thought I should come and find you since we'll be in London soon" Draco said and cringed when Hermione turned around and saw him.

"What the in Merlin's name happened to your eye?" she screeched, jumping out of her seat.

"Nothing of importance" Draco replied stiffly. He still didn't feel particularly comfortable in a room full of Gryffindor's, and he refused to show weakness in front of them, which meant not allowing Hermione to mother his current black eye.

"Draco. What happened after I left the carriage?" Hermione demanded.

"We will discuss it later" he hissed.

"We will discuss it right now!" Hermione just barely resisted stamping her foot.

"FINE" Draco yelled. "Pansy was far too pleased with herself after you left, Blaise told her to shut up, Theo swung for him, missed, caught me and is now unconscious in the carriage"

"Oh Draco. Why did you fight him? I thought we were passed all this" Hermione groaned.

"He had it coming. Pansy is lucky she's a girl or she would be in the same position" Draco growled.

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait, are you saying that you knocked Nott out and left him with pug face?" Ginny asked, barely containing her glee.

Draco nodded.

"Well pull up a seat and help Dean before he loses spectacularly twice in one day" Ginny laughed, completely accepting Draco as one of the group with immediate effect.

"Ginny! I can't condone this. I'm head girl. They've been fighting. Neville we have to do something" Hermione's voice was almost high-pitched enough that only dogs would be able to hear her soon.

"Not if no one informed us" Neville replied, feigning obliviousness.

"Neville!"

"Oh Hermione, chill out. If you do anything, everyone will believe that you are giving Draco special treatment for taking his side in something that you haven't witnessed and the actual witnesses would never come to you about" Ginny reasoned.

Hermione sat down in a huff and crossed her arms, "Ugh fine. But if this happens again I'm going to McGonagall and getting them into serious trouble" Hermione grumbled.

"Since when do you become a snitch" Draco asked, not looking up from the game.

"I guess we've swapped roles" Hermione sniped. Immediately regretting it. She waited for the explosion from Draco but instead watched as every other person in the carriage fell apart with laughter, including Draco.

"What on earth has gotten into you lot?" Hermione asked in complete wonder.

Luna, who was laughing just as much as everyone else responded, "Well if anyone said to you a year ago that you would be dating Draco Malfoy, worrying over his black eye while he sat playing Chess with Neville and Dean, while Ginny defended him for fighting, what would you do"

Hermione digested it and finally gave in and laughed with her friends.

…..

The train pulled into King's Cross-, Hermione and Draco said goodbye to Hermione's friends, Dean and Neville both shook Draco's hand, and the girls waved them off.

"That was weird" Draco stated as they walked out of the station and into the alley they had used at Christmas to apparate back to Hermione's house.

"Not really. My friends are accepting you, finally. I knew they would eventually" Hermione sighed.

"Shall we go then?" Draco asked, pulling the bag that they had packed over his shoulder. It had seemed simpler to Hermione to just shrink two weeks worth of clothes and essentials for both of them and put them in a backpack than to take two large trunks.

Travelling light had become essential during the war.

"Not yet" Hermione said, pointing her wand at Draco's face and casting a healing charm at the bruise, "there is no way you could have faced my father with that on your face"

Draco leaned forward and pecked her lips, "am I forgiven?"

"For?" Hermione enquired.

"Fighting with Theo" Draco quipped.

"Yes, I am going to pass you knocking him out off as self defence. But Draco you don't have to fight them. I know and you know that you are not like them, and I'm used to their crap" Hermione curled her arms around his waist and gave him another kiss.

"I don't want you to be used to it. I won't have it" Draco stubbornly responded.

"Don't be silly. I used to get a lot worse. Now let's go. I want to see my parents"

"I am sorry you know, for all the shit I used to give you" Draco quietly told her.

"Draco, don't bring it up again. It's all water under the bridge" Hermione insisted.

"Okay" he gave her one final kiss and slipped his tongue into her mouth, making her moan and pull her body tighter to his.

"GET A ROOM"

Hermione whipped her head around and saw Blaise walking up the alley.

"Jealous much?" Draco teased him, placing a quick kiss on Hermione's neck.

"Of you having this beautiful Gryffindor, absolutely" Blaise laughed and put his arm around Hermione, teasing Draco right back.

"But I'll have you know that you're not the only ones who use this alley to apparate, so get a move on" he joked.

"Wait" Hermione said quickly before Blaise could turn on the spot, "Blaise what are you doing over the holidays?"

"Nothing, mother will be off in some country finding her next husband I'm sure, I'll pretty much be alone" Blaise answered.

"Then I insist you join us at some point, maybe even Easter lunch" Hermione invited him.

"That is very kind of you, but will your parents be happy to have another Slytherin in the house?" Blaise enquired.

"Absolutely, I won't accept no for an answer" Hermione insisted.

"Then I'll see you on Easter Sunday" Blaise said, theatrically bowing and turning on the spot.

"You didn't have to do that sweetheart" Blaise told her as he took hold of her hand.

"Blaise has been very nice to me since we started dating, more accepting that any of your other friends and I it will be nice if you can spend some more time with him" Hermione replied nonchalantly.

"Still, thanks" Draco placed one final kiss and gripped her hand tightly, turning on the spot.

_AN: I really love this chapter. I know a lot of you probably think Draco wouldn't be so soft, but I really think that being forced to be a Death Eater would have a pretty big effect on someone, and I really love this chapter. I've been working on it for days. So reviews would be lovely..._


	21. Chapter 21

_AN: I know, I know, it's been way too long since I updated. Those of you who were reading No Ordinary Love, will know that I spent a bit of time finishing that off, so now this is my only story in progress on . Can't speak for other ideas that haven't been posted yet but that's a story for another day, if you'll excuse the expression._

_I think there might be one more chapter before the epilogue. So with NOL finished and this finshing I'm getting emotional, I don't know how you all feel about it..._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this and own nothing in the Harry Potter Universe._

They landed on the back porch of Hermione's parents house and were immediately greeted by her parents, who had been waiting on their new porch swing.

"Mum, Dad, it's so lovely to be home" Hermione cried as she ran into their waiting arms.

"It's wonderful to have you home love" Hermione's mother responded as she embraced her daughter.

"Draco" she nodded over Hermione's shoulder.

Mr. Granger moved to shake Draco's hand, pulling him aside when Draco accepted.

"Listen up young man, we are allowing you to stay against my better judgement but this is my house and you will play by my rules. No funny business. You will be sleeping in my study and I do not expect to find you in my daughters room after dark" Mr Granger warned.

"Dad" Hermione groaned.

"Understood Mr. Granger" Draco confirmed.

Hermione rolled her eyes and led the way into the house. Mrs. Granger patted Draco's shoulder as he passed her going into the house.

"Dinner is in an hour, why don't you go upstairs and settle in and come down when you're ready" Mrs. Granger suggested.

"Okay mum, we'll unpack" Hermione agreed, taking Draco's hand and almost dragged him up the stairs.

They went into Hermione's room and closed the door quickly, "your father despises me" Draco stated, "and he's right to"

"Draco stop. He does not despise you, he barely knows you. And don't even think about getting down on yourself again" Hermione stopped him in his tracks, something she had had a lot of practise at recently.

"Hermione, today's train journey just reinforced what I already know. Look at the kind of people I socialise with, Theo and Pansy are just the tip of the iceberg" Draco argued.

"Draco there will always be people who think the way Pansy & Theo do. It hasn't even been a year since the end of the war, you cannot expect them all to change the way you did" Hermione soothed him.

"My mother hasn't changed, despite what the Wizengamot believe. If she had, we would be spending at least a few days of this holiday at the Manor" Draco continued.

"Your mother will come around. She doesn't want to lose you; she risked her life and helped Harry just to get to you. She just needs time to adjust"

"It's been six months since the news of our relationship broke, how can you be so sure?" Draco asked.

"Because she is your mother"

Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's waist. "Would you like to go and see her? Maybe if she sees us together…"

"I can't ask you to do that. Don't even consider it" Draco replied firmly.

"I wasn't suggesting anything elaborate, maybe lunch somewhere" Hermione pressed.

"I won't subject you to that situation" Draco insisted.

"Just think about it" Hermione asked.

Draco nodded, having absolutely no intention of actually meeting his mother. He was determined that if she did not accept his choice then she would have to face the consequences.

"Come on, let's go downstairs and relax, and we need to tell my parents to expect another guest on Sunday" Hermione released Draco from her embrace, settling for holding his hand and led him out of her room and back downstairs.

Hermione joined her mother in the kitchen, asking if she needed any help. Draco reluctantly sat in the living room with Mr. Granger.

"So young man. Do you play any sports?" Mr Granger asked, "Football, Cricket, something like that?"

"Err neither of those sir. I played Seeker for Slytherin house Quidditch team" Draco responded, hoping to keep the discussion on a friendly scale.

"Ah yes Quidditch. Hermione has mentioned it in the past. She went to the world cup or something with the Wealseys" Mr Granger commented.

"Yes I know. I was there with my… err never mind" Draco mumbled.

Hermione entered the room during the discussion, "he was there with his father"

Draco's posture visibly stiffened, "yes, that's correct"

"Ah" Mr. Granger responded, he knew very well that Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban.

Hermione passed her father the beer she had carried in to the room and offered a bottle to Draco, who subtly shook his head.

She sat next to Draco and settled into his side. She saw that her father had a football game on the TV and would soon be unable to hold any kind of conversation that did not involve screaming at the players and the referee, even though they couldn't hear him.

"Hermione, can we not talk about my father in front of your parents. It isn't something I want them to think about while I'm staying in their house" Draco whispered.

"Okay sorry" Hermione whispered back.

As the pundit's on the TV discussed the teams to play that night and her father got lost in their speculations, Hermione entwined her fingers with Draco and began to form a plan.

She could do nothing about the situation with his father, he was in Azkaban no matter what, but she had to do something to fix the problem between Draco and his mother. She felt responsible for the separation between them, even though every time she mentioned it Draco insisted that it was not her problem.

She decided just to contact Narcissa herself, and take Draco out of the equation. Once he and his mother were in the same room she was sure they would talk civilly.

They had dinner, her father almost choking he was in such a rush to get back to the game, and Hermione escaped up to her room after her father called Draco to come and watch the game with him.

She could hear her father explaining the rules of football to Draco between shouting at the TV and cheering when the first goal went in. She knew Draco wouldn't be able to escape for a good forty-five minutes and was safe to write the letter.

She gave Draco's owl the parchment and watched him fly out of sight before rejoining her mother in the kitchen to help clean up.

At half time Hermione and her mother joined Draco and Mr. Granger in the living room, her father was in a jubilant mood as his team were winning and Draco seemed to be enjoying watching his first football game.

The couple spent the rest of the game in the living room with Hermione's parents and when the final whistle blew Hermione pulled Draco up from the couch and headed towards the stairs.

"Hermione, I don't want to find him in your room, do you understand me young lady?" Mr Granger called after them.

"Yes, dad. I'm just going to show Draco where he's sleeping" Hermione replied with a sigh.

They went upstairs and Hermione pulled the cord from the ceiling that brought the stairs into the Study down. They climbed the stairs and found that Hermione's parents had bought a foldout couch for the room, which was currently made up with a quilt and pillows ready for Draco.

"This wasn't here at Christmas" Draco remarked.

"Yes. Mum was saying that they bought some new furniture and repainted the bathroom, sorry love but the Green and Silver's gone. The porch swing's new too, apparently they had one in Australia" Hermione explained.

"So, this will be the first time in a while that we've slept apart. It'll be strange" Draco commented.

"Don't worry about that. I have a plan, thanks to Ginny and Harry's example" Hermione smirked and peaked Draco's interest immediately.

"We say goodnight now. You pull the stairs up after I've left and I say goodnight to my parents and go to bed. They won't be awake much longer, once you hear them go to bed apparate into my room, a few silencing spells will stop them coming into check on me, they'll think I'm fast asleep"

"Sweetheart, I do love your sneaky side" Draco whispered in his silky voice as he pulled her to mould against his body and began to suck on her neck.

"Goodnight" she said, loud enough for her parents to hear and tore herself away from him and ran down the stairs before she changed her mind and threw caution to the wind.

Hermione watched as Draco pulled the stairs up and shut the door, then hurriedly used the bathroom and called goodnight to her parents.

She placed silencing spells around her room, casting it twice at the wall adjoining her parents bedroom and waited for Draco to apparate into her room.

Twenty minutes, which felt like hours later, the crack of an apparation sounded and she turned to find Draco, just in his underpants behind her.

She just about managed to contain the drool that always tried to escape her mouth when she saw him with so little clothing and sat back on her bed, crooking her finger at him.

He quickly joined her on the bed and caught her lips in a consuming kiss. The danger of getting caught seemed to heighten the excitement for both of them and Draco had Hermione crying out very quickly and more than once that night.

…..

**Easter Sunday**

Hermione wrote to Blaise saying that she and Draco would meet Blaise in London and apparate back with him a few days earlier and the couple were now waiting in Diagon Alley, eating an ice cream at Fortescue's.

They were hidden away in the corner, hoping to avoid the press when Blaise found them. He greeted them, shaking Draco's hand and placing a kiss on Hermione's cheek, which made Draco smile, his friend's acceptance of his girlfriend warmed his heart.

"Shall we?" Hermione asked quickly as she spied a photographer she recognized walking past the ice cream parlour.

They boys nodded their agreement and they pulled up the hoods to their cloaks before exiting the shop and each taking Hermione's hand, she turned on the spot and apparated them into they alley near her house.

Draco laughed at the look on Blaise's face as he took in the hovel illusion, and Hermione removed the spell for Blaise so that he could see her actual house.

They entered and Hermione proceeded to introduce Blaise to her parents. Blaise produced a bunch of flowers from the inside of his cloak and handed them to Mrs. Weasley.

"Smooth!" Draco whispered. "Come now Draco, it's not proper to go to someone's house without a gift for the hostess, you know that" Blaise responded.

They sat down to eat almost immediately; Hermione's mother had prepared a magnificent roast.

"So Blaise, where are your parents today?" Mrs. Granger asked, kindly.

"My father past away many years ago and my mother is currently travelling. She and I do not have very much of a relationship, I hadn't had any expectation to see her over the holiday" Blaise answered truthfully.

"Oh, that's awful, just awful. Well I'm very glad you excepted Hermione's invitation" Mrs. Granger told him as she piled his plate high with potatoes.

Once they had filled themselves to the brim with Roast Chicken, Potatoes and Mrs. Grangers Apple pie and custard, they settled in front of the TV for yet another football game.

Draco and Mr. Granger sat and discussed the team, as Draco had taken the time to learn some of the players' names and positions during his discussions with Mr. Granger over the few days he had stayed, while Blaise looked on in confusion.

"What are they talking about?" he asked Hermione quickly.

"Football. My father had bordered on friendly towards Draco since he tried to take an interest in the game and my dad's team. I have no idea what it's all about but they seem to enjoy themselves" Hermione explained.

Blaise watched on in astonishment as Draco began to chant along with Hermione's father at the TV and laughed out loud when Draco jumped on top of Hermione's dad at the first goal.

Hermione joined her mother in the kitchen to help with the clean up.

"Blaise seems like a nice young man. It's such a shame about his parents" Hermione's mother commented as she handed Hermione plates to dry.

"Yes well I've never met Blaise's mother but from what I hear she isn't someone that you would want to socialise with. She has had seven husbands, and they've have all died suspiciously" Hermione explained in a whisper, she didn't want Blaise to hear her putting his mother down, even if he did act indifferently about her.

Shouting from the living room suggested that Blaise was beginning to watch the game with interest and Hermione laughed to herself as she put the kettle on to make tea for everyone.

A tapping on the kitchen window alerted her to the fact that there was an owl waiting with a letter.

She opened the window and allowed the regal brown bird to enter, taking the letter from its leg. The owl took flight again before she could offer it a treat.

She opened the letter and began to read the elegant script

_Dear Miss Granger_

_It would be an understatement to say I was surprised to receive your letter._

_I would be willing to meet as suggested._

_I will be at The Leaky Cauldron at 1pm tomorrow, although may I suggest booking a private room?_

_This is, after all a private matter._

_Regards_

_Narcissa Malfoy_

Hermione smiled as she read the letter. Step-one of her plan was complete, next was getting Draco there without trouble, and keeping him there once he realised what was going on.

_AN: Oooohhh, meeting with Narcissa, this could get interesting... Reviews will get us there faster..._


	22. Chapter 22

_AN: Here's the next chapter. I quite like it, finally some insight into Draco's mood swings and clingyness. Hope you all enjoy..._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this and own nothing in the Harry Potter Universe._

The next morning Hermione woke up much earlier than Draco. She watched him sleeping peacefully, gently brushing a lock of hair from his face and traced the curve of his soft lips.

She knew the lunch meeting was going to be rough, butterflies were fluttering around in her belly just at the thought of meeting with Draco's mother and how bad things could get.

She crept out of the bed and snuck into the bathroom quietly, not wanting to wake her parents either.

She showered and put her hair up in as neat a bun as her wild locks would allow, then went back to her room to get dressed.

She quietly opened her wardrobe and took stock of the minimal amount of clothing that wasn't at Hogwarts.

She found a smart black suit jacket and skirt set her mother had bought her just before she went on the run with the boys and not had the chance to wear.

She paired it with a crisp white shirt and her black pumps, which she found rather precarious to walk in, and dressed quickly. She went back to the bathroom and put some mascara, blusher and lip-gloss on and took a deep breath.

Now for the tough part.

She went into her room and reinforced the silencing spell on her room, just in case Draco lost his temper.

She bent over the bed and placed a kiss on Draco's cheek as she gently shook his shoulder.

He grumbled and eventually opened his eyes.

"Morning" she whispered. With a shaky smile.

"Good Morning Sweetheart" Draco whispered back, as she wiped sleep from his eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Around 7:30" Hermione responded, standing back so he could her out of the bed.

"Hermione you look ravishing" he exclaimed as he took in her appearance.

"Thanks" she blushed.

"Why are you so dressed up?"

"Ill tell you once we're downstairs. Meet you in the kitchen"

Draco nodded, slightly confused and apparated up to the loft.

Hermione grabbed one of Draco's black shirts from her wardrobe and headed downstairs.

She pulled the ironing board out and began to iron the shirt without magic. She used the smooth motions and the minimal concentration it took to distract her from her nerves about lunch.

Draco found her in the kitchen a few moments later.

"Hermione will you please tell me what's going on?"

"Would you like a coffee?" she responded, avoiding the impending explosion a few moments longer.

Draco nodded and watched her moving around the kitchen, making two coffees. Once she handed him a cup he tried again, "Sweetheart, what's going on?"

"I did something. Something I don't think you'll be very pleased about and I don't want you to be angry, because I did it to help" Hermione responded quickly, causing the words to become a jumbled mess.

"What did you do?"

"I wrote to your mother, and she's agreed to meet us for lunch" Hermione finally admitted what she had done.

Draco's patented Malfoy mask immediately fell into place, "absolutely not"

"Draco, its arranged. She will be waiting for us at 1pm, at the Leaky Cauldron. We have to go"

"I said ABSOLUTELY NOT" Draco was shouting by the end.

"What the hell is going on down there?" Hermione's father yelled from upstairs.

"Nothing dad" Hermione called back. "Draco please, just come to lunch and if it doesn't work out I swear I won't get involved again.

"No. I don't want you anywhere near her. I don't care what everyone else thinks, she was just as much a death eater as my father, you're not going" Draco was adamant.

"So were you, for whatever reason you were a death eater. Draco I'm going, and you're going with me" Hermione turned back to the ironing board and continued with Draco's shirt.

…..

By lunchtime Draco was refusing to talk to or look at Hermione. He sat out on the porch swing for most of the morning and refused to get dressed.

Hermione stepped right in front of him with her hands on her hips, producing a very good impression of Mrs. Weasley, "Draco Malfoy you will get up, get dressed and come with me to Diagon Alley or so help me you will regret it"

Draco folded his arms across his chest, "I'd love to know what you're going to do about it" he raised his eyebrow, challenging her.

She bent down so she was face to face with him and smirked, "don't test me Draco" she warned.

He huffed, "fine, but don't blame me at the end of this ridiculous lunch"

Draco stood and marched into the house and upstairs to get dressed.

Hermione held out her hand when he came back but instead of taking it he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her body against his, he bent down to whisper in her ear "you're brave sweetheart, maybe too brave"

He turned on the spot and apparated them to Diagon Alley.

They landed just outside the Leaky Cauldron and entered quickly. Tom gave Hermione a big toothless grin as soon as he saw her and ushered them straight up to one of the private rooms.

"Thanks Tom" Hermione said shaking his hand and flashing a winning smile.

"Anything for you miss Granger" Tom replied bowing as low as his old creaky bones would allow, completely ignoring Draco standing next to her.

They didn't have to wait very long before Tom was showing Mrs Malfoy into the room. He stepped away as soon as he opened the door giving her a wide berth.

"Thank you Tom, could we have some drinks?" Hermione asked as Narcissa looked around the drearily decorated room, wrinkling her nose.

"Of course Miss Granger, right away" Tom scurried off.

"Draco dear, it is lovely to see you" Mrs Malfoy claimed, holding her hand out to Draco.

He automatically bent and kissed it with a cold air, "Mother"

Hermione watched on in dismay, it was no wonder Draco struggled so much with his emotions, how could his own mother not grab him and engulf him in a tight hug after six months? She wanted to take Narcissa Malfoy and shake her until she saw sense.

"Miss Granger" Mrs Malfoy nodded.

Tom returned with a jug of pumpkin juice and some glasses and bowed his way out of the room. They each sat in a rickety wooden chair around a small round table and Hermione poured them each a drink just for something to do.

Hermione took in Mrs Malfoys appearance as the older witch took a sip of her drink. She was wearing an obviously tailored green dress that pinched in on her slim waist and stopped at her knee. She had a black shawl draped across her shoulders and her hair was in a tight bun, completely opposite to Hermione's messy one, she felt completely inadequate sitting opposite her boyfriends mother.

Draco was sitting with tense shoulders next to her. He had a tight grip on her hand under the table. "How have you been mother?"

"Well Draco, thank you. My days are mainly filled with my community service and running the Manor. As you can imagine some work was needed on the building" Mrs Malfoy responded.

Draco nodded.

"Shall I order lunch?" Hermione asked, vacating her seat.

She left the uncomfortable room and went down to the main bar, ordering sandwiches and tea from Tom. She braced herself at the door back into the room and entered.

Quite clearly in her absence neither Draco nor his mother had moved or said a word.

"Oh for Merlin's sake. What on earth is the matter with you? Mrs Malfoy you haven't seen your son in six months and your sitting there like the man across from you is a complete stranger. And you Draco, this is your mother, loosen up!"

"Hermione I didn't want to come here today, what do you want me to say?" Draco growled through gritted teeth.

"Oh come on. So your mother doesn't like me, what did you expect? That isn't a good enough reason to behave like a spoilt child" Hermione bit out.

"IT ISN'T JUST THAT!" Draco shouted.

"What?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter" Draco folded in on himself.

Hermione looked at Mrs Malfoy for help.

"Come now Draco. Spit it out, if it isn't my dislike of your relationship with Miss Granger, the what is it?" Mrs Malfoy goaded him, which just fuelled Hermione's exasperation.

Draco looked up from under his long blonde lashes at his mother with distain, "fine, you never stood up to father. You let him drag us into this world, this scenario of hate and terror. You just sat by and watched as I was forcefully indoctrinated into Voldermort's army of Death Eaters…"

"Don't say his name" his mother snapped.

"SHUT UP! You see this woman? She stands up to me. She puts me in my place. She infuriates me beyond belief, and do you know why? Because she actually CARES about me. She nags me because in the end it's going to help me. You never cared about father or me, you only cared about being Lady Malfoy. Well you can take the Malfoy name and the Malfoy fortune and you can shove it where the sun doesn't shine"

Draco stood up so quickly that his chair fell backwards and stormed out of the room.

Hermione stared after him with her mouth wide open.

"Well I can see that coming here was a waste of time" Mrs Malfoy sighed.

"You have got to be joking. Did you not just hear him?" Hermione exclaimed.

Hermione followed his path and found him just outside the pub. She grabbed his hand and apparated them back to her parents' house.

They went straight up to her room and sat on the bed.

"Draco, why didn't you tell me? You could've told me anything. Why didn't you tell me what was really bothering you all this time?" Hermione asked him.

"It's my problem" he responded stiffly.

"No. Your problems are my problems. I love you and I want to be here for you, for everything, the good and the bad" Hermione leant forward and pecked his lips.

He grabbed her head and held her there, making the kiss last longer.

When he eventually let go he looked her straight in the eye, "Marry me?"

Hermione gasped.

"I know it's soon, maybe too soon. I was going to wait until we finished school but I knew from the moment that we kissed for the first time that I was going to marry you. Please say yes, let's start an amazing life together"

Tears filled Hermione's eyes and she nodded as a huge grin spread across her face.

….

**Hogwarts**

They agreed to keep their engagement a secret until they finished Hogwarts. What was another two months? Although Draco insisted she wear the engagement ring he bought her before they went back to the castle.

It was a beautiful freshwater cultured Pearl and Diamond ring in a platinum setting, Hermione loved that it wasn't a big flashy diamond, but something unique, like their relationship.

Although, she had to charm it to keep it invisible during school hours, she wasn't ready for the staring and questioning to begin again just yet.

A few weeks after they got back to school, Hermione was sitting in the library studying for her exams, and had talked Draco into hanging out in the Slytherin dorm with Blaise for a change. He had had such a good day when Blaise joined them at Easter.

She had her head buried in her Transfiguration textbook when a tapping began on the window behind her. She got up and opened it quietly and quickly.

It was the same owl that had brought her the note from Mrs Malfoy during the holidays; she opened the letter and read.

_Dear Miss Granger_

_I have given a lot of thought to our lunch meeting and what my son said._

_I'm sure you believe that I am an awful mother, but that is not what I set out to be._

_So I have decided, in an effort to make amends to my son, that I will do my best to accept you in his life, anyone can see that you care for him, and contrary to his belief I do love him and want the best for him._

_I hope that in the future we can come to some sort of understanding._

_Regards_

_Narcissa Malfoy_

Hermione tucked the letter in her bag with a happy sigh, things were finally beginning to look up.

_AN: I hope you all enjoyed it. Especially as the next chapter is the Epilogue... (Gasp) I know, I can't believe its over already but thats the way the inspiration bunny went. Reviews will get you guys there all the quicker although once I click the post button here I'm going on to write it because my fingers are already itching.. Picture of Hermione's ring is on my profile, would love to know what you all think_


	23. Epilogue

_AN: Here it is, the finale..._

_I know some of you were a little shocked by this finsihing already, but I had pretty much planned on it finishing when they finished Hogwarts. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the glimpse into all their lives. Without further ado, the Epilogue..._

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this and I own nothing in the Harry Potter universe_

Blaise stood, tapping a spoon against his Champagne glass, gaining everyone's attention.

"I'm going to keep this short, I'm sure you would all prefer to enjoy your desserts without having to listen to me. I have known Draco for a very long time, since we were small children. So I can normally tell what's going on with him at any given time. I know for sure that right now Draco Malfoy is the happiest man alive, because he has found a woman who is not only brilliantly smart and beautiful, but incredibly kind and patient. Not to mention that she could kick his arse into the next century if he pushes his luck…"

The guests laughed as Draco good-naturedly glared at his best man.

"So without further ado, I would like to wish my best friend and his beautiful bride every happiness in the world. I am certain that your marriage will be nothing short of magical. To Draco and Hermione"

He raised his glass and the guests followed suit chorusing "Draco and Hermione"

Draco stood and shook Blaise's hand.

He then held his glass out and continued with the toasts.

"Blaise is right of course, I am the happiest man in the world. It's been two years since this wonderful woman agreed to marry me, and they have been the best two years of my life…"

He pulled Hermione up from her seat and wrapped his arm around her, smoothing his other hand down the front of her dress, "… and in around six months my life is going to get even better"

It took about three seconds for everyone to add his announcement and the placement of his hand together before the entire body of guests irrupted into squeals and applause.

Ginny jumped up from her seat as maid of honour next to Hermione and engulfed her in a loud squealing hug as Blaise shook Draco's hand.

"shh shh everyone, so I would like you all to raise a glass to my wife, Hermione Jean Malfoy"

Again the group of guests raised their glasses.

The music started again and Draco pulled Hermione out onto the floor for their first dance, effortlessly twirling her around and occasionally kissing her as their guests watched on.

Slowly other couples began to trickle onto the dance floor and Hermione's father tapped Draco's shoulder. "May I cut in?"

Draco placed Hermione's hand into her father's outstretched palm and turned, bowing to Mrs Granger and waltzing her around the floor.

"Congratulations Hermione. A baby, it's wonderful news" Mr Granger twirled Hermione around the room.

"Thanks dad. We're very excited, but we wanted to keep it a secret for the first three months because pureblood's tend to have problem pregnancies, miscarriages and that sort of thing" Hermione explained.

"Very smart as always" Mr Granger complimented her.

Harry tapped Mr Granger's shoulder, "May I steal the bride?"

"Of course" Mr Granger span Hermione into Harry's embrace and stepped away.

"So you're joining the parenting club. Ready for 2am feedings and nappies and baby vomit?" Harry joked.

"Ready as I'll ever be. We're very excited" Hermione echoed what she had just told her father.

"It's truly is fantastic news 'Mione, I'm really happy for you" Harry stopped leading them around the floor and hugged her tightly.

The party continued on with dancing and cake and many congratulations from all their guests, such as Mr and Mrs Weasley, the rest of their school friends and Narcissa Malfoy.

"It's wonderful, truly wonderful. I'm so happy for you both. My first grandchild" Narcissa gushed.

Draco watched bewildered by his usually cold mothers' behaviour as she laid a hand over Hermione's barely there bump.

Eventually the band announced the bride and groom one last time as they had changed clothes to go on their honeymoon and the couple left for two weeks in Rome.

…

As for the rest of them….

Two months after Ginny left Hogwarts, she and Harry got married in a small ceremony at the Burrow.

Hermione was Ginny's maid of honour and surprising everyone Harry asked Neville instead of Ron to be his best man.

After seeing him deliberately trying to hurt Hermione through Draco, Harry pretty much washed his hands of Ronald Weasley, associating with him only as his brother-in-law and not his best friend.

Within a year Ginny gave birth to their first child, a son they named James Sirius. Hermione and Neville happily became his godparents.

The following year, a second son, Albus Severus joined the happy little family, followed by Lily Luna two years after that.

Harry asked Draco to be her godfather.

After spending time outside of Hogwarts with him and seeing how happy he made Hermione, Harry and Draco became very good friends.

The two families would get together at Grimmauld Place or at Hermione and Draco's house at least once a week for dinner, where Lily would insist that Draco play with her. She was rather fond of her godfather and he felt exactly the same way about her.

…..

As for Ron, he did eventually get on with his life, marrying a witch named Alina from Romania.

He met her while visiting his brother Charlie at the Dragon Reserve and eventually moved out there and joined the Romanian Ministry as an Auror after she agreed to marry him.

The wedding was held in Romania, and although she didn't go, Hermione sent her best wishes for a happy marriage via Ginny and Harry.

Ron and Alina had two sons born two years apart, Stelian and Sorin.

…..

George spent a few years concentrating on building up the shop, eventually turning it into a successful chain that spread not only through Diagon Alley and Hogsmede, but also throughout Wizarding markets all over Europe.

He used the time to mourn Fred properly; each success was made in Fred's name and after several years he settled down with Angelina Johnson.

They had two children, Fred and Roxanne.

…..

After Neville finished his Herbology apprenticeship under Professor Sprout and took over as Herbology teacher at Hogwarts, he asked Luna to marry him, which she happily accepted.

They lived in his quarters at the school, with Luna apparating to her father's offices to work on the Quibbler each day, until she fell pregnant with their first child.

They then bought a house in Hogsmede Village where they raised their three children, Nora, Nathan and Nadine.

…

Blaise joined the Ministry of Magic, working for the Department of Magical Transportation.

He worked his way through to become the head of the department and eventually married his secretary, a half-blood girl named Aimee.

Aimee was five years younger than Blaise. She was tall, although not as tall as her husband who stood at a steady six foot two, with long brunette hair, a natural tan and a kind smile.

They had one child, a daughter named Bethany. She had her mothers' looks, her fathers' charm and broke many hearts at Hogwarts, much to Blaise Chagrin.

….

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan travelled the world after leaving Hogwarts. They visited the magical region of every major city in the world and made friends everywhere.

Dean married a Dutch witch and moved to Amsterdam, where Seamus visited him at least once a month.

Seamus settled back down in England and began to date Parvati Patil, eventually marrying her and having twin girls, Jaya and Julia.

….

Theodore Nott got Pansy pregnant in their last month at Hogwarts and married her to keep what was left of their families, the members who were not in Azkaban, happy.

They lived in Pansy's family home, a mansion almost as big as the Manor, which fell into disrepair after Theo gambled away the fortune left to him by his mother.

They lived in separate wings of their home, which suited Pansy just fine as it made it easier for her to pretend not to know about the prostitutes Theo brought home.

It was the price she had to pay to be Lady Nott.

…

Once leaving Hogwarts Hermione and Draco bought a house in Hogsmede where later on Neville and Luna would become their neighbours.

Hermione got a job at the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Draco took over the Malfoy family business and spent many years making the Malfoy name something to be trusted.

Of course having Hermione as his wife aided that quest, causing people such as Rita Skeeter to write whole articles on their marriage being one of convenience and that they were fooling everyone into believing that they were in love.

Hermione did her best to ignore the scandalous newspaper articles written about her husband and family, until reading that the baby she was carrying was in fact Harry Potter's.

That was the point where Hermione took revenge, anonymously letting the Auror's office know of an unregistered Animagus at the Daily Prophet.

Rita Skeeter was put under house arrest and never allowed to write for any tabloid ever again.

…

Six months after their wedding, Hermione and Draco were lying together on a hospital bed in St Mungo's maternity unit looking down at their little bundle of blankets and Blonde hair.

"I told you" Draco said, as his first-born held his finger from her mothers' arms.

"I told you time and time again that she was going to be a girl"

"Oh come on Draco, it was fifty-fifty, and Malfoy's don't have girls, logic suggested that I would bare a son, although I was happy either way" Hermione reasoned.

"Just admit that I was right and you were wrong" Draco ribbed her.

"Ugh fine. I'm too tired to argue with you, I did just give birth to her you know" Hermione groaned.

Draco took his daughter from Hermione's arms, "and what are we going to call the little miss? We never settled on a girls' name"

"You can decide but I want Jean as her middle name, family tradition. I'll choose the next one" Hermione decided.

"Do you hear that little lady, your mother already wants another one, doesn't she know that Malfoy's only ever have one?" Draco cooed at the baby making Hermione laugh, it was so unlike him.

"Yes well Malfoy's don't marry muggles or have girls either" Hermione countered.

"Okay, well how about after my great-grandmother? Violetta Jean Malfoy" Draco suggested.

"It's perfect" Hermione agreed and bent to kiss the babies thick blonde hair before lifting her face to kiss Draco on the lips.

"Yes" Draco agreed, "absolutely perfect"

_AN: I really hope you all enjoyed this last chapter, and the rest of the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've also made a banner, this is the first one I've managed to make myself as I'm terrible at using the programmes that make banners, so I hope you'll all have a look and tell me what you think. I've just put it on my profile so if it's not quite there yet it will be shortly. See you all soon... xxx_


	24. Chapter 24

I can't believe I have to do this again, I'm so tempted to turn off anonymous reviews, which I haven't done so far because some people just don't want to sign in and that is their personal choice, but some reviews really peeve me off.

So to the person who reviewed under the name "Seriously", maybe you might like to read the chapter again before trying to explain to me, like I'm some kind of fool, why the ring choice that I made for MY story is bad.

Since you have decided to go ahead and explain let me explain a self-explanatory chapter to you….

He just told his mother to stick the Malfoy fortune, and proposed before Hermione received his mothers' note; therefore, no he can't afford a big flashy diamond as a school student who has never worked a day in his life!

This takes me to your second point. that an engagement ring represents wealth and the ability of the husband to provide, well hello he's a school student, could you provide someone with a Diamond ring when you left school? Because I sure as hell couldn't.

And lastly I personally don't think Hermione would be allured by the rich lifestyle at all. I never saw that in her character and I most certainly didn't write her that way, the whole point of the story was that Draco pulled away from the Malfoy lifestyle.

Why don't you get some guts next time you flame someone and sign in so they don't have to burden the rest of their readers to answer your completely incorrect and off the point of the whole story review.


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